As A’s reveal player pool, site remains in question
First things first as the A’s head back into getting ready for a 2020 season: They have a large pool of players from which to draw.
The team, however, is not releasing all the names on this list for procedural reasons: Top pick Tyler Soderstrom, an 18yearold catcher from Turlock, hasn’t been signed yet. Soderstrom’s signing will be announced Monday, according to multiple sources.
Highprofile prospect Robert Puason, a 17yearold shortstop from the Dominican Republic, was reported to be among the A’s pool players, according to Jesse Sanchez of MLB.com, but also was not on the list released Sunday, likely because he is traveling to the U.S. Inviting top young players such as Soderstrom and Puason to the playerpool camp, which was expected to be in Stockton, will enable them to get instruction and some sim
ulated games when they might otherwise be limited in their development this year.
Two other top shortstop prospects who were in the A’s spring camp will be at the alternate site for the same reason: last year’s top pick, Logan Davidson, and defensive whiz Nick Allen. So will two prospects who weren’t in spring camp: 2019 secondrounder Tyler Baum, a righthander, and fourthrounder Kyle McCann, a catcher.
Others not on the list because they are traveling to the U.S. include outfielder Luis Barrera and righthanded pitchers Wandisson Charles and Miguel Romero. All of the players not announced Sunday will go to the team’s alternate site — which is more uncertain than it was last week. The Chronicle has learned that new COVID19 orders announced by Gov. Gavin Newsom on Sunday that include San Joaquin County, and spikes in positive coronavirus tests in the area, have the team rethinking its use of the Class A Ports’ stadium, at least in the short term.
Teams have been encouraged to use nearby facilities for their alternate camps because MLB’s 2020 protocols call for a site close enough to not require commercial air travel. The A’s already had been investigating other options while trying to work out a deal with the city of Stockton for use of Banner Island Ballpark.
The group of 42 players heading to Oakland features a number of nonroster players, including catcher Carlos Pérez, infielders Ryan Goins and Nate Orf, and pitchers Lucas Luetge, Jaime Schultz and Jordan Weems. Outfielder Skye Bolt, infielder Sheldon Neuse and pitchers Paul Blackburn and Daniel Gossett, all optioned to the minors before spring training was shut down in March, also will be in Oakland.
Several 40manroster players, such as outfielder Dustin Fowler and starters Daulton
Jefferies, Grant Holmes and James Kaprielian, will go to the alternate site, along with some nonroster invitees: McCann, outfielders Greg Deichmann and Buddy Reed and pitchers Tyler Baum,
Parker Dunshee and Brian Howard.