As spring camp carries on, roster questions remain
MESA, Ariz. — Halfway through spring training, plenty about the Oakland Athletics’ roster still needs to be resolved.
The rotation’s structure is still unclear and likely will continue to evolve into the season, general manager David Forst said during the weekend. That will influence how the A’s build a bullpen. And several roles remain up for grabs on the positionplayer side. Here are a number of roster questions that should gain clarity in the next three weeks:
Is shortstop settled?
Nick Allen is the obvious candidate to play shortstop after doing so down the stretch last year as a rookie. Yet, when asked Saturday if the A’s project Allen to be their primary shortstop to start the season, Forst said: “I don’t know that we have anything penciled in like that.”
Aledmys Díaz, a utilityman, also has worked mostly at shortstop in camp. Forst said the A’s “want to make sure he’s comfortable there” but second and third base are “options as well.” Díaz, 32, began his MLB career as a shortstop but rarely has played there since 2018.
Allen’s hitting will be a factor, as he posted a .207/ .256/.291 slash line in 100 games last year. Another question is how the A’s plan to use Díaz, who signed for a chance at regular playing time.
Díaz figures to play against left-handed pitchers. But the A’s have lefthanded hitters Jace Peterson and Tony Kemp as options at third and second against righties and Seth Brown in left field, where they want to limit Díaz’s time given his injury history. Where that leaves Díaz against righties isn’t clear.
If Allen is in the lineup, shortstop makes sense, given his defense. Yet Forst noted Allen played some second last season and “can do that, too. So, I think it’ll be a work in progress.”
Filling outfield gaps
Ramón Laureano and Brown project to play the corner spots regularly. Esteury Ruiz, JJ Bleday and Cristian Pache have drawn Cactus League starts in center field.
Forst said Ruiz’s speed is a “weapon” but the A’s need more at-bats to gauge his readiness for MLB pitching. Pache is 7-for-18 (.389) in early Cactus League play but the A’s still want him to elevate the ball more, given his groundball struggles in 2022. Bleday can play all three outfield spots but hit .167 in 65 games in Miami and the A’s could decide he’d benefit from more atbats at Triple-A.
If one of those three emerges in center, it also could impact the reserve outfielder spot. Forst said being able to match up against opposing starters will be “part of the equation” in setting the group. Ruiz, Pache and Brent Rooker hit right-handed; Bleday and Conner Capel bat left-handed.
Will Noda make team?
Ryan Noda, the first baseman and Rule 5 draft pick, will need to stay on the A’s roster or be offered back to his last team, the Dodgers. There is a clear path for Noda to a job as a left-handed hitter who can platoon with Jesús Aguilar at first base. But that isn’t a guarantee, as Brown played first base last season and could shift back there if needed.
Noda had 25 home runs, a .395 OBP and 162 strikeouts in 135 games at Triple-A last season. Defensively, he might be the most natural first baseman in camp. That could be a factor as Aguilar projects to split time between first base and designated hitter, and Forst said the A’s are still gauging “what he’s going to be able to do.”
Building a bullpen
Five bullpen spots appear marked for Trevor May, Zach Jackson, Domingo Acevedo, Sam Moll and Dany Jiménez, if all make it through camp healthy. Jiménez, who dealt with shoulder injuries in 2022, had low velocity in his spring debut but climbed a little, to 91-93 mph, last weekend.
There’s a variety of options for the final three spots. Right-handers Drew Steckenrider, Chad Smith, Rico Garcia and Austin Pruitt have some MLB experience; of the group, only Smith is on the 40-man roster. Moll is the lone left-hander penciled into the bullpen, and lefty Kirby Snead is injured, which could open a window for nonroster lefties Jake Fishman or Garrett Williams.
Given their fluid rotation plans, the A’s also might choose to carry one or two starter-types in the bullpen as swingmen or long relievers, Forst said.
Plans for Piña
Manny Piña projects as the backup catcher to Shea Langeliers, but he hasn’t played since the Cactus League opener because of calf soreness. Piña is a veteran, and the A’s hope he’ll help Langeliers, who is entering his first full MLB season, and their pitching staff. Forst said the A’s “want (Langeliers) out there as much as possible,” but he will need off days.
Yohel Pozo, who played in 21 games with Texas in 2021, is the only other catcher in A’s camp with MLB experience. The A’s plan to get Piña at-bats in minor-league camp, where he doesn’t have to run bases, but his recent injury history — he missed time to a hamstring injury in 2019, a knee injury in 2020 and a wrist injury last season — is notable.