As The Reluctant Mailbag (TM) gets revved up to start covering real games, we take some time to get to the most pressing issues of this, the most unusual baseball season of this millennium, at least.
What’s on your minds, o M’bag Faithful? It’s shades of spring training all over again! Be still my racing heart, lineup questions, at long last. We’ll start to get some sense of how manager Bob Melvin and his staff are thinking in the exhibition games Monday and Tuesday, but we here at the Ol’ Bag are all for as much crazy experimentation as possible in a short, weird season.
That won’t happen, of course — the A’s are still expected to contend, maybe even more so in a 60-game season — but if there is ever a time to use some novel ideas and strategies, it’s now. What I’m saying is yes, at some point, I’d like to see the Matts pitch in a game or Chad Pinder play all nine positions.
@jackconboy: Will LF be straight Robbie Grossman vs RHP and Mark Canha vs LHP? I know they like Grossman but I think Canha has earned the bulk of the time in left. Maybe too many righties in the lineup though.
Too many righties — that really is the A’s the past year or two. And it will ensure Grossman and, probably, Tony Kemp regular playing time.
So the big question is: What do you do with Canha, who was sensational last year. Among other things, he led the team in on-base percentage, plus he showed he can play center competently.
Ramón Laureano looked excellent in right, but Stephen Piscotty is back and healthy. Could Piscotty see his time shrink some? Could Canha play there or some time in center? Could Canha DH more if Khris Davis needs a breather or if Davis falls into another funk?
Whatever the case: Canha needs to be in the lineup. A lot. I feel the same about Chad Pinder. How the A’s accomplish that beyond a lot of mix-and-matching and pinch-hitting ... I’m not sure. But things have a way of sorting themselves out, and there is no such thing as too many good players.*
(* — I think these are manager cliches No. 1 and 1A.)
@MikeyR510: Is Stephen Piscotty likely to go back to his everyday role in RF?
Likely to, yes, especially because he’s swinging the bat well at Camp Coliseum. Guaranteed to keep his spot? Not necessarily. Every outfielder better be in top-notch form the entire short season because the A’s have too much talent to leave in anyone in there who’s slumping very long.
@MikeyR510: Do you see Pinder getting a significant amount of playing time at 2B?
Pinder has swung the bat as well as anyone at Club Coli, and Melvin has mentioned second as a possibility for him several times.
I’m unclear on how this might happen, though. Kemp, by virtue of being a left-handed hitter, probably gets the nod most days, and Franklin Barreto is likely to be the right-handed part of that equation.
Pinder’s value goes beyond his versatility and play on the field — he’s a strong behind-the-scenes leader, and the A’s know that well. But at some point, the number of teams asking to trade for him — and there may be a lot — might be hard to ignore if there is no way to get him regular at-bats.
He’s one of those guys who, if and when he goes somewhere where he plays regularly, is likely to bust out and become a solid everyday big-leaguer. It’s no one’s fault there isn’t an obvious spot for him in Oakland, and he’s an excellent utilityman — but I think he could be much more if he got a shot.
@gallopingael: Given the higher variance in a shorter season, how much more likely is BoMel to be more aggressive in his decisions?
I think most managers would tell you they’re playing to win every day regardless of the circumstances, but in an 162-game season, naturally there are also other considerations, particularly when it comes to making sure key players don’t wear down.
That’s not quite as much of a worry now — but there’s a different concern: In the KBO League, there were quite a few muscle strains early after brief camps as Korea tried to get baseball up and running. So there will still be an effort to get regulars rest when possible so they don’t go out too hard, too fast.
As for in-game moves, with larger rosters, I’m sure Melvin is looking forward to being able to pinch-hit more often now that he’s not limited to a three-man bench. And it’s clear that no one is going to want to go to extra innings, given the runner-at-second rule to open the 10th — so more small ball, if warranted, might happen late in tight games. All late runs will be at a premium.
@BobMooreNV: Managers spend 162 games on the science of pitching arms. What changes in pitching management will we see in a 60-game sprint? The same or more “win today and let tomorrow take care of itself”?
The A’s have signaled they’re stretching out many of their relievers to throw multiple innings, so I suspect that workloads will be light for starters initially (which makes sense after a three-week camp) and certainly with Jesús Luzardo, in particular, there’s a strong chance of a tandem-starter or “piggy-back” situation after he has missed two weeks following a positive test for coronavirus.
I think most teams will have short leashes with starters. And if a closer or key setup man isn’t performing well, he might get replaced a lot sooner than might normally be the case in a full season.
@MarkSigmonSFSU: The A’s are a great young team. Do they really resent the lack of attendance at A’s games? Do they ever say things like, “Man if we had the fan base of the ... we’d be unbeatable!”?
I have never heard a player tie attendance to performance — they feel responsible for their own play, as they should. But yeah, I’ve heard plenty of disappointment over small crowds going back decades. Every team would love a packed stadium, of course.
The one area attendance might matter, of course, is the ability to sign players long term or add high-priced free agents, but that’s not something I’ve heard any players grumbling about. The A’s have been saying for a good five years that they’d need a new stadium to be able to invest in long-term extensions for players, and that appears a good four years away at the earliest.
@baseballdays22: Do we read anything into Matt Chapman’s comments about the team not being prepared for the restart and his fan comment, or is that Chapman just speaking his mind like he always does (which I enjoy) or is he hinting he’s unhappy with the team.
I examined this topic in the A’s Plus newsletter this week, but the short answer is: Chapman is fiery, he’s competitive, that’s what drives him, so I don’t think anyone was insulted or upset. He wants to get going earlier, that’s a great instinct to have. Not starting earlier wasn’t really anyone’s fault — the team couldn’t get into the building until June 26. I can see why he’s frustrated. I don’t blame him and I don’t think it’s a big deal. It’s not as if the A’s are going, “Well, we would have signed this two-time Platinum Glove third baseman long term except he got hot about not starting camp earlier.” You want the player who wants to get going as soon as possible.
@ryanyork79: I know Khris Davis was hurt last year, but pitchers seemed to pitch him breaking stuff low and away and he would bite on it every time. Is this something that’s been addressed, and are they working on it?
That’s what happens when you’re trying too hard, and there’s zero doubt that’s what was happening with Davis last year. He’s never going to be a .290 hitter — we all know .247 is his sweet spot — but if he’s having decent at-bats early in the season, it will be pretty obvious, because he’ll be laying off more of those breaking pitches and either drawing a few more walks or getting more fastballs to hammer.
Susan Slusser covers the A’s for The San Francisco Chronicle. Email: sslusser@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @susanslusser
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A's Mailbag: Where does Canha fit in crowded outfield? What about Pinder? - San Francisco Chronicle
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