Oakland Athletics Roundup: Prospect Jacob Nottingham; 2016 Bullpen; Plus, Cliff Pennington Pitches
Oakland Athletics Roundup: Wednesday, October 21
Say what you will about the Oakland Athletics’ fateful game against the Kansas City Royals last year – it still wasn’t as embarrassing as what happened to the Toronto Blue Jays on Tuesday afternoon. The Royals destroyed the Jays, crushing them in a 14-2 victory that saw R.A. Dickey chased from the game after just 1.2 innings. In fact, the game was so bad that former Oakland Athletics’ infielder Cliff Pennington pitched in the ninth inning, becoming the first full-time position player to pitch in the postseason.
If there was any doubt about how important good pitching is, the Blue Jays have certainly cleared that up – at least in terms of bullpen help. The Royals are now one win away from the World Series, while the Jays are almost certainly headed home for the winter. As poorly as the bullpen has performed, it’s no wonder that they had to come back from a 0-2 deficit to advance over the Texas Rangers.
All other teams will likely take notice of Toronto’s plight, which means relievers could become a hot commodity this winter. The A’s will need to pay up to get some quality arms, or risk facing the same situation the Blue Jays find themselves in now.
In Case You Missed It:
Prospect Update: Catcher Jacob Nottingham – The A’s acquired catcher Jacob Nottingham via the Scott Kazmir trade in July. How did he do after joining the Athletics? Steven Luke recaps his season – and what impact that has on the big league club.
Could Jesse Hahn’s Injury Be Cause For Concern? – Should fans be worried about pitcher Jesse Hahn’s injury when 2016 begins? Samantha Riley answers one of the biggest questions that the team faces heading into next season.
The Loss of Pat Venditte Might Be Good for 2016 – Switch-pitcher Pat Venditte put up some respectable numbers with the A’s, and he certainly was one of the best storylines of 2015, but the Blue Jays claimed him on waivers on Monday. Could this actually be a good thing for the A’s?
#Athletics:
Sources: #Phillies will interview #Athletics assistant GM Dan Kantrovitz a second time for GM job. Others also in second-round mix.
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) October 20, 2015
The news you’ve all been waiting for tonight! STAR WARS Fireworks awakens again on Sat, August 13. #TheForceAwakens pic.twitter.com/xuE7rXcsbi
— Oakland A's (@Athletics) October 20, 2015
Its been a hard road. Full of naysayers & haters. @Athletics gave me best 2 weeks of baseball I've ever had. #team pic.twitter.com/kwrE9XZgyi
— Justine Siegal PhD (@justinebaseball) October 19, 2015
Around the Web:
Athletics Nation: A’s Offseason Priority – Outfield Now and the Future – Athletics Nation thinks the A’s should focus on left field this season, where they certainly need to upgrade from replacement-level players.