Oakland Athletics Do Not Need Anymore Starting Pitchers

The Oakland Athletics are going to be make a lot of decisions regarding their pitching staff this offseason. This includes both their bullpen and starting rotation. When it comes to the rotation, it makes sense as to why they may want to have depth in that area.

In 2015, the Athletics’ rotation was plagued with injuries. By the time the season ended, the majority of the starting five and the backup starters were on the disabled list. Even though it gave Barry Zito the opportunity to pitch one last time in the Majors, it was quite a stressful time as the A’s began to run out of healthy starters when September rolled around.

Because of this, Susan Slusser for the San Francisco Chronicle reported that the Oakland Athletics may look to add even more starting pitching depth to their roster. However, the A’s really do not need anymore starters. They have a plethora of options as long as they all start the 2016 season healthy.

First off there is Sonny Gray and Rich Hill. Gray does not have a history of injuries although he did miss his final start of the season due to a sore hip. Hill has undergone one Tommy John surgery, but that is about it on his injury rap sheet.

Then there are all of the young starters including Jesse Hahn, Kendall Graveman, and Chris Bassitt. Hahn is injury prone, so it will be good for the A’s to have at least one starter waiting in the wings just in case. Graveman went down with a strained oblique late in the season and is expected to be healthy for 2016. Bassitt’s season ended with a sore shoulder.

It must be noted though that the Athletics were extra precautious with these three pitchers. Because the the A’s were already out of postseason contention and these are all young, promising starters, Oakland ended their season early to make sure they were completely healthy for next year. All three seem to be on track to be ready for the 2016 season.

The A’s also have Drew Pomeranz and Liam Hendriks. Pomeranz has been both a starter and a reliever for Oakland. Even though he is more effective as a relief pitcher, the Athletics do have the option to use him in the rotation. Additionally, even though Oakland plans on using Hendriks strictly in the bullpen, he does have starting pitching experience and has really only been a full time reliever for one MLB season. If necessary, the A’s could use him in the rotation as well. 

The Athletics also still have Felix Doubront and Aaron Brooks. Even though they are not the most consistent starters, they did provide valuable backup help for the rotation this past season. Oakland may get rid of Doubront this offseason, but it is likely they will keep Brooks around since he is young and has a good chance of rebounding from a mediocre season in 2015.

Lastly, there is still Jarrod Parker, Sean Nolin, and Sean Manaea. Parker is expected to be healthy and ready to pitch by mid-2016. Nolin has finally overcome his injury that he incurred in 2014 and made six starts for the A’s at the tail end of the 2015 season. Manaea is a top pitching prospect for Oakland and is suppose to join the team at some point next year.

In total, the Oakland Athletics have at least 12 potential starting pitchers. That is enough to make up two rotations with two backup starters. Yes, last season’s injuries really tested the A’s depth when it came to starting pitching talent. However, if the Athletics go out and acquire additional arms for the rotation, it could potentially bump one of the younger pitchers out.

Up Next: A’s Trade Jesse Chavez to Blue Jays

As seen with Mark Canha and Billy Burns, these rookies only got better when they received regular playing time in the MLB. If these younger pitchers are not able to throw on a consistent basis at the big league level, the possibility of them improving dramatically in 2016 is slim. The Oakland Athletics should stick with the staff they have and not add anymore starting pitchers to their roster.