Oakland Athletics: Five Off-Season Goals
Starting Pitchers
Yes, the A’s have starters, but they don’t have enough starters. That’s the line of thinking that has hurt the A’s in both of their previous two season.
Jarrod Parker is an excellent pitcher, and no one has worked harder than he has to make a comeback. But realistically, the A’s cannot afford to count on him as depth. That’s partially why he was outrighted earlier this week, along with left-hander Felix Doubront.
The A’s have a good young rotation, but they need to add some depth.
There aren’t a lot of big-name starters on the free agent list this season, but the Athletics don’t need someone to lead their pitching staff. They just need to make sure they aren’t encountering the same situation in 2017 as they have the past two seasons.
That situation includes not being able to fill the rotation slots, period, when the injury bug strikes. The A’s weren’t just forced to use below-average starters. They’ve had to turn to relievers or not-quite-ready prospects just to get someone on the mound every day.
While those pitchers have performed admirably, small market teams can’t afford to risk ruining the development of quality arms just to fill a short-term need.
Brett Anderson will be available this winter, as will Travis Wood. Both are likely to require a moderate financial commitment, given how shallow the starting pitching talent pool is. However, they could provide some veteran guidance on a pitching staff filled with rookies.
Anderson spent most of the season on the disabled list in 2016 and has not performed well in his 11 innings of work. However, he averaged a 3.54 ERA over the prior two seasons. With Anderson, injuries are always a concern, but he could be a high-reward signing if the price is right.
Wood has posted a 2.95 ERA as a reliever for the Chicago Cubs this season, but he was previously a starter and could transition back to the rotation on a new team.
When the Oakland Athletics head to Spring Training, they need to have the option to let their prospects earn rotation spots. Signing a veteran arm would give them the option to send a struggling pitcher to the minors if necessary. That’s a luxury they didn’t have in 2016.