Oakland Athletics
The Athletics are solid in many places where a contender is supposed to be solid. Measured by WAA, they are No. 1 at first base (thanks to Matt Olson), top 10 in left and center, solid at third and second, and they have a reliable rotation.
The fatal flaw is at shortstop, where the A’s are getting virtually no contribution.
Elvis Andrus, brought over from Texas in a pre-season trade, is batting .232 with a.585 OPS. He’s also been a defensive liability, with -6 defensive runs saved. Thus far A’s manager Bob Melvin has taken a sink-or-swim attitude with Andrus, who has started all but even of the team’s 101 games.
It isn’t working. Andrus, in company with his occasional fill-ins, has accounted for -1.2 WAA at the position. That ranks a desultory 28th among the 30 teams, ahead of only the Pirates and Reds.
It wouldn’t be too much of a stretch to boil down the difference between the Athletics and the division-leading Astros to that one fatal flaw. Oakland trails Houston by five games. Astros shortstops, principally Carlos Correa, have generated a +2.4 WAA, 3.6 games better than Andrus’ Athletics.
Oakland’s front office should have one target this MLB trade week: upgrading at shortstop. The team Is not likely to survive long in the postseason if they are relying on Andrus.