Aug 5, 2015; Oakland, CA, USA; Oakland Athletics starting pitcher Kendall Graveman (31) hands the ball to manager Bob Melvin (6) after being removed from the game during the sixth inning at O.co Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Ed Szczepanski-USA TODAY Sports
The Oakland Athletics’ Need to Improve their Bullpen This Winter
Throughout the entirety of the 2015 season, the Oakland Athletics have suffered from injuries and inconsistency. The group most notably impacted by these two has been the bullpen and unfortunately, they have also had the most impact on the season. It seems like whenever A’s manager Bob Melvin come out of the dugout to motion to his bullpen, it’s only a matter of time until the game is eventually blown.
So far this season, Oakland’s relief corps is 28th in ERA (4.33), has allowed the fifth-most home runs (39), and has the second to worst win-loss ratio (12-22) in Major League Baseball. They are also dead last in saves, with 20 converted in 37 opportunities, which is a drastic fall off from their performance last season. However, the scariest part is that the A’s bullpen has thrown the sixth lowest amount of innings (314.0) in the MLB, meaning their relievers have essentially allowed the most damage of any late-innings pitchers in the game this year.
This upcoming offseason will definitely be an opportunity to shore up the bullpen, and with Sean Doolittle returning from injury, the closer’s role will at the very least be filled. From there, no others options seem set in stone to become either a seventh or eighth shutdown-inning type of guy. That is why I have compiled a list of five upcoming free agents that could be possible, cheap options for the A’s to pursue:
Next: The First of Five