Oakland Athletics Look For Matt Chapman To Energize Club
By Joey Lopez
The Oakland Athletics have given their veterans plenty of opportunities to contribute, but there’s an overwhelming sense that the team’s youth movement will take full effect very soon.
The Oakland Athletics acquired several veteran players this past offseason in the hopes of bolstering their lineup. For Billy Beane and David Forst, however, those veteran acquisitions have bombed.
Trevor Plouffe, among others, is a solid example of the A’s fumbled attempts this year at trying to compete in the AL West.
Plouffe was brought in under the assumption that he would provide stability at third base. His contributions have been almost nonexistent.
Through 58 games (182 at bats), Plouffe has managed to hit just .214/.276/.357 with 7 HR and 14 RBI.
He has struck out at a higher rate this season (29.3%) compared to his 2016 campaign with Minnesota (17.4%). Plouffe is also swinging at more pitches outside of the strike zone this year as well (27.6%).
Defensively, Plouffe was never going to be a stand out at third base. The expectation was, however, that he would be able to hold his own at the hot corner.
The A’s have yet to receive any substantial production from Plouffe and as a result, the team is looking to go younger at the position.
Matt Chapman Coming To Oakland…
The team is expected to have prospect Matt Chapman join the team in Oakland on Thursday.
Chapman, a top-prospect for the A’s, has been knocking on the door for a while now. With Plouffe struggling, Chapman figures to find a bulk of his playing time at third base.
During his stint this year with Triple-A Nashville, Chapman hit .259/.350/.592 with 16 HR and 30 RBI. His numbers may have been more impressive, but Chapman missed most of April due to a wrist injury. In 12 games this month, Chapman hit .304/.396/.674 with 5 HR and 10 RBI.
His promotion signals, perhaps, the start of a new beginning for the A’s.
With the team sitting in last place and any hopes of a playoff run long gone, the A’s need to embrace their younger players.
Moving forward with a full-fledged youth movement has never been easy for Beane or the team’s front office.
Everyone hates to lose, especially Beane. But at this point, the A’s need to focus on their future.
Adding veteran players to a team full of youngsters makes sense if you’re looking for examples of leadership. It doesn’t make sense if you’re trying to turn the page and allow your younger players playing time.
Chapman should help ignite an A’s offense that is wildly inconsistent. Aside from Jed Lowrie, the team hasn’t seen much consistency from their position players.
Chapman’s power and approach at the plate should provide the A’s a nice boost of energy. Franklin Barreto should follow Chapman’s path to the bigs as well. Lowrie isn’t expected to stay with Oakland much longer due to his rising trade value.