What is Marcus Semien’s Future With The Oakland Athletics?

When the Oakland Athletics acquired Marcus Semien this past offseason, many were excited about the idea of a rookie shortstop joining the team. The A’s needed a long term solution for the lack of depth in the middle infield and Semien seemed to fill that void. Additionally, because Semien is young, it was assumed that he would become Oakland’s starting shortstop for many seasons to come. Unfortunately, this pick up did not turn out as planned.

It quickly became clear that Semien’s fielding skills were extremely poor. Currently, he has committed 34 errors this season and has a .942 fielding percentage. The A’s even had to bring in infield fielding specialist Ron Washington, who the A’s eventually hired full time, to help Semien with his fielding. Lastly, when the A’s first round draft pick Richie Martin came to the O.co Coliseum to sign his contract and take batting practice with the team, some observers said that Martin looked more like a shortstop than Semien.

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It is obvious that Semien is not a natural shortstop. He has had to work hard to learn the ropes of this position and he has improved greatly since the first half of the season. However, his future with the Athletics may still be bleak when taking a look at the A’s farm system.

The A’s are stocked with shortstops in the minor leagues. Five out of the Athletics’ top 15 prospects are shortstops. This includes their No. 1 prospect Franklin Barreto. He is just 19, but he has a strong bat that consistently makes contact. Like Semien, his fielding skills at shortstop do not come naturally however he does have plenty of time to practice in the minors at this position since he is not expected to break into the Majors until 2017.

Oakland’s No. 7 prospect is middle infielder Chad Pinder, who is expected to make his Major League debut in 2016. Pinder was also recently named Texas League Player of the Year. Pinder can field at short, second, and third. His strong arm and versatility gives him the ability to be a successful defenseman. Pinder’s defensive skills will be highly valued by Oakland.

Lastly, Martin has already become that A’s No. 4 top prospect despite signing just back in June. He is a natural at short and is great defensively. Additionally, he is quick, has a strong arm, and has good range. It is likely that he will quickly make his way through the Minor Leagues and fans can expect to see him in Oakland before 2020.

With all of these shortstops mostly likely breaking into the Majors over the next few of seasons, Semien could likely be bumped from an everyday starter to a platoon player or even the backup middle infielder. Semien has a lot of potential both offensively and defensively, but he needs to prove this to the coaches and fans in order to keep his position at short. He is only 24 years old and it would be a shame to see such raw talent go to waste.

The middle infield has been a problem area for the A’s the past few years. With all these shortstops making their way up the farm system ladder, Oakland will soon have to deal with another problem – a surplus of shortstops. Some trades are going to have to be made, and, if Semien does not become a rock solid defenseman and is unable to be consistent at the plate, the chances of him being removed from the starting shortstop position to make room for a younger rookie shortstop in 2016 or 2017 could be a possibility.

Next: Oakland Athletics Prospect Chad Pinder Names Texas League Player of the Year