The Sports Xchange
MLB Team Report – Oakland Athletics – INSIDE PITCH
Two of the top hitters in the A’s camp so far are ticketed for Triple-A Sacramento.
Michael Choice, the A’s top pick in the 2010 draft, was batting .500 through Monday’s games, among the Cactus League leaders. He’s seen as the team’s center fielder of the future – perhaps as soon as next season, with Coco Crisp under contract only through this year.
Shane Peterson also plays center field, along with both corner outfield spots at first base. Peterson, acquired in the Matt Holliday deal with St. Louis, is batting .435, and he and Choice both have homered.
The A’s, of course, have a more than full major-league outfield, to the point that Chris Young, an accomplished center fielder, will be bouncing all over as sort of a “utility” outfielder and DH. He is learning both corner spots this spring.
So there is little chance Choice or Peterson cracks the big-league roster until September, barring injury or trades. But their development is encouraging, especially when it comes to choice, whose 2012 season was ended by a broken thumb last July. He leads the A’s with eight RBIs in eight games, while Peterson has five doubles, most in the majors, and he added a triple on Monday.
Peterson, 25, could have a bit of an advantage because he plays first base well. Should the A’s part ways with Daric Barton later this spring – the team’s former starting first baseman is out of options and is on a non-guaranteed contract — the A’s do not have an obvious replacement at the position in the event of an injury to Brandon Moss. Jed Lowrie and Adam Rosales both can play the position but are more valuable at the other infield spots.
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MLB Team Report – Oakland Athletics – NOTES, QUOTES
–The Oakland Athletics announced a 20-year agreement with the city of Mesa, Az. that will return the club to the East Valley city for spring training beginning in 2015.
The deal includes two five-year team options that could extend Oakland’s stay to 30 years.
Oakland trained in Mesa from 1969-78, and will once again conduct workouts at Fitch Park and play spring training games at HoHoKam Park, the current home of the Chicago Cubs. The Cubs will move into the newly constructed Riverview Park stadium in 2014 year. HoHoKam Park will then be closed to undergo $20 million in renovations.
“We’re extremely excited about our future spring home and want to thank the city of Mesa for all their hard work and cooperation in making this agreement possible,” said A’s owner and managing partner Lew Wolff in a statement. “With the improvements planned over the next two years, we believe HoHoKam Stadium and surrounding facilities will rival any in Major League Baseball.”
The A’s played their games at HoHoKam Park from 1977-78. After a brief period in Scottsdale, they moved to Phoenix Municipal Stadium in 1982, where they have remained since.
–RHP Grant Balfour has thrown two bullpen sessions off the mound since his Feb. 14 arthroscopic knee surgery. Balfour, who had torn meniscus in his right knee, is on track to get into spring games by the middle of the month and the A’s closer is expected to be completely ready for Opening Day.
–OF Chris Young missed four days after exiting a game on Feb. 24 with cramping in his left quadriceps. He returned to the lineup on Friday and he had hits in his past three games through Sunday.
–INF Scott Sizemore was struck on the left hand by a pitch from Colorado’s Tyler Chatwood on Sunday, but X-rays showed no breaks. Sizemore missed all of the 2012 season after tearing the ACL in his left knee on the first day of workouts last spring.
–RHP Andrew Carignan, who is recovering from July elbow ligament replacement surgery, was reassigned to minor-league camp. The reliever is expected to be pitching in games again by June or July; his rehab has gone without a hitch so far and he is throwing 35-pitch bullpen sessions.
–OF Michael Choice is tied for the major-league lead in hits this spring, with 11, and batting .500, putting him among the Cactus League leaders. Choice, whose 2012 season was ended by a broken thumb in July, is expected to spend this season at Triple-A Sacramento but should be a September call-up — and could arrive earlier in the event of a trade or injury.
BY THE NUMBERS: 20 — Total bases by Triple-A outfielder Shane Peterson in his first 10 games this spring, putting him among the major-league leaders and opening eyes in camp.
QUOTE TO NOTE: “I definitely don’t need any broken bones or serious injuries at this point.” — A’s infielder Scott Sizemore, who missed all of 2012 with a knee injury incurred the first spring workout, after being hit in the hand by Colorado’s Tyler Chatwood on Sunday.
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MLB Team Report – Oakland Athletics – ROSTER REPORT
PROJECTED ROTATION:
1. LHP Brett Anderson
2. RHP Jarrod Parker
3. LHP Tommy Milone
4. RHP A.J. Griffin
5. RHP Bartolo Colon (after suspension ends)
Anderson lost 20 pounds or so when rehabbing from Tommy John surgery last year, and he appeared to be better than ever when he returned in August. Parker led A’s starters in most categories as a rookie, and he and Milone both racked up 13 wins.
Griffin impressed in his 15 starts, going 7-1 with a 3.06 ERA, and RHP Dan Straily, one of five A’s rookies in the rotation the final two weeks of the season, will fill in at least one start for Colon, who will miss the first five games while finishing his 50-game drug suspension.
PROJECTED BULLPEN:
RHP Grant Balfour (closer)
RHP Ryan Cook
LHP Sean Doolittle
LHP Jordan Norberto
LHP Jerry Blevins
RHP Fernando Rodriguez
The bullpen was particularly impressive down the stretch in 2012, and rookies Cook and Doolittle especially so. Balfour’s fiery temperament helped boost the A’s into the postseason, so the final three innings are pretty much set for Oakland.
Norberto is coming off repeat episodes of shoulder tendinitis, but he is expected to be ready for the season. The last spot in the bullpen, if Norberto is fully healthy, will be between recently acquired Rodriguez and long reliever Travis Blackley, who was valuable for Oakland as a starter and reliever last season.
PROJECTED LINEUP:
1. CF Coco Crisp
2. 2B Jed Lowrie
3. LF Yoenis Cespedes
4. RF Josh Reddick
5. DH Chris Young/Seth Smith
6. 1B Brandon Moss
7. 3B Josh Donaldson
8. C John Jaso
9. SS Hiro Nakajima
The A’s used as many as five platoons last year, and the lineups will get even less predictable this season with the addition of a fourth starting outfielder, Young, and infielder, Lowrie, who are both expected to play all over.
Jaso, with a high on-base percentage, often might bat higher up in the order, and once the A’s get a feel for what Nakajima can do with the bat, he also might move around more often. Scott Sizemore and Jemile Weeks are possible infield options, too.
TOP ROOKIES: SS Hiro Nakajima will be a 30-year-old rookie in his first year playing in the U.S.; he was a .302 hitter in Japan. The A’s expect he will provide more offense than they’ve had in some time at the spot. RHP Dan Straily was leading baseball with 190 strikeouts when he was called up Aug. 3, and he went 2-1 with a 3.89 ERA in seven starts.
MEDICAL WATCH:
–INF Scott Sizemore (hit by pitch) was struck on the left hand, but X-rays showed no breaks. Sizemore missed all of the 2012 season after tearing the ACL in his left knee on the first day of workouts last spring.
–OF Chris Young (left quadriceps tightness) came out of the Feb. 24 game. The ailment was considered minor. He missed four games and returned to the lineup on Friday and he had hits in his past three games through Sunday.
–RHP Grant Balfour (arthroscopic right knee surgery in February 2013) had a meniscus tear repaired. He was throwing on flat ground in late February, and he is expected back for Opening Day.
–RHP Andrew Carignan (Tommy John surgery in July 2012) began a throwing program in the fall. The reliever could be pitching again by midseason if his recovery continues to go well.
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