Oakland Athletics: Who Should Start at Third Base in 2016?

Pro Danny Valencia

Sep 28, 2015; Anaheim, CA, USA; Oakland Athletics third baseman Danny Valencia (26) makes a throw to first in the fifth inning of the game against the Los Angeles Angels at Angel Stadium of Anaheim. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports

Evan Giddings: At first glance, this question seems like it was somewhat answered by watching the last month of the season. Valencia performed admirably at third while holding down the middle of the lineup with a surprisingly impressive bat. One could also argue that Lawrie defensively played himself out of that position, registering 18 errors over the 109 games he played there. This decision made it easier for Bob Melvin to make the switch and stick Valencia at third, moving Lawrie over to second where his fielding improved and his bat provided a much better option than the likes of Eric Sogard.

However, having said all this, Billy does as Billy does. What this means is that Billy Beane traded for Lawrie in order for him to become the next staple corner infielder. What this says to me is that looking forward to a 2016 campaign that will likely yield results on par or less than this season, there will be plenty of opportunity for Brett to earn back his spot. Despite the pleasant surprise that Valencia turned out to be, it wouldn’t surprise me to see Lawrie back at third in order to reset this machine that Beane is intent on building in order to somehow get the A’s back into contention.

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Steven Luke: At the end of the 2015 season one of the few positions that seemed to be solidified was third base. Brett Lawrie seemed to have found himself a spot at second and as an occasional back-up to Danny Valencia who seemed to have locked down the position with his offensive prowess. The fact that it seemed to be solidified should make it no surprise that it is one of the positions that Billy Beane and the front office feel is a question mark.

It seems like Beane is just talking to talk in this instance because although it is true that Lawrie might feel that his best position is third the team comes before the need of one player. He was just as effective at second base as he was at third and it is arguable that he might have been better, but it’s a small sample size. Valencia’s offense is enough to keep him in the lineup nearly every day and unlike Lawrie, he does not have a secondary position that he plays just as well. It seems obvious what the resolution is, but nothing is every obvious with this organization.

If for some strange reason the team cannot see the writing on the wall and want to look outside of the organization they are going to find a blank page. As far as third base goes there is nothing there. The biggest two names on the free agent market according to MLB Trade Rumors free agent tracker are Mark Reynolds an Murphy. Neither of the two should be manning third base everyday and the few players on the list who could man the position on a daily basis, Gordon Beckham and David Freese most notably, bring little to the table offensively.

It seems obvious what should be done at third base, which means it probably won’t happen. Simply because he said anything at all about it I expect Beane and company flip Valencia due to the weak free agent market at the position and once again Lawrie starts the season as the starter at the position for the second season in a row.

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