Oakland Athletics: Which Arbitration-Eligible Players Are Worth Keeping?

Sep 23, 2015; Oakland, CA, USA; Oakland Athletics starting pitcher Felix Doubront (53) throws a pitch against the Texas Rangers during the first inning at O.co Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Ed Szczepanski-USA TODAY Sports

Starting Pitchers

Jarrod Parker and A.J. Griffin

2015 Salaries: $850k and $508k

Projected 2016 Salaries: $850k and $508k

Unsurprisingly, there will be no change in the pre and post-arbitration salaries for the two A’s starters that sat out for the 2015 season. Parker will be locked in at $850k, and Griffin at $508k. Expect the front office to give these two as much time as they need to return to the Major League level. It costs them next to nothing, and they will have no reason to rush them into the 2015 rotation if the A’s are rebuilding.

Felix Doubront

2015 Salary: $1.3 million

Projected 2016 Salary: $2.5 million

The model recommended a 2016 salary of $2.5 million, which is an increase of $1.2 million from 2015.

The key question for the A’s office is whether or not Doubront has any place in the A’s rotation or bullpen next season. Presumably, Sonny Gray, Jesse Hahn, Chris Bassitt, and Sean Nolin will all earn spots in the rotation, leaving room for either Griffin or Parker to return. Doubront needed to post slightly better than a 5.81 ERA and 1.443 WHIP to remain a serious candidate to be in the rotation.

But how did he do as a reliever? The answer is that he wasn’t terrible in that role. Granted, he only made four relief appearances in 2015, but he generated a more respectable 3.86 ERA through 14 innings in those four games. This is an indication that his stuff is better in smaller amounts.

The A’s may want to hang onto a $2.5 million reliever, but they would also be basing that decision on a small sample size.

Conclusion: Doubront will be slightly over-valued next season, and should be seen as a piece to move this off-season.

Next: Part Two: Relief Pitchers