Oakland Athletics Designate Raul Alcantara for Assignment
Not even four weeks ago, Raul Alcantara had made the Oakland Athletics Opening Day roster as their fifth starter. Yesterday, he was designated for assignment.
There had been a time where Raul Alcantara had been one of the Oakland Athletics top prospects. He was rated as the sixth best prospect in the Gulf Coast League following the 2011 campaign, and was considered a key future piece in the deal that sent Andrew Bailey to the Red Sox. After a fairly solid minor league career, he made his Major League debut last season, posting a 7.25 ERA and a 1.567 WHiP in his 22.1 innings with Oakland.
Heading into Spring Training, he was a bit of a longshot to make the Opening Day roster. However, injuries to the pitching staff opened a place for Alcantara. Then, after Jesse Hahn struggled, Alcantara was given the fifth spot in the rotation, as the 24 year old had a chance to prove that he was ready for the Majors. The fact that Alcantara was out of minor league options was also a factor, but the A’s did not have many other options at that point.
His stay in the rotation lasted all of one start. Alcantara was shelled for eight runs in two innings against the Rangers, while Hahn came in to pitch the final six innings. He was then banished to the bullpen, making two relief appearances. While he pitched relatively well in his first outing, Alcantara was hammered for five runs in three innings on Sunday.
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That performance was the final straw. Yesterday, Oakland designated Alcantara for assignment as part of a series of roster moves. Rajai Davis was placed on the disabled list, and the Athletics brought Cesar Valdez and Ryan LaMarre up from Nashville to fill out the roster.
It would not be a surprise for a team looking for pitching depth to give Alcantara a look. In his first taste of action at AAA last season, he did have a 1.18 ERA and a 0.898 WHiP in 45.2 innings, striking out 32 batters while issuing only three walks. That command was consistent with his minor league production, as Alcantara has 409 strikeouts against 125 walks in 588.1 innings.
Even in his struggles at the Major League level, there are a few bright spots. Overall, Alcantara has issued just nine walks in 29.1 innings, although five of those free passes happened this year. Meanwhile, he has 16 strikeouts, leaving room for hope that he could develop into a solid option, either as a back of the rotation starter or as a reliever.
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The Oakland Athletics would certainly like to keep Raul Alcantara in the minors and continue his development. However, given his minor league track record and potential, that may be easier said than done.