Oakland Athletics Roundup: Spring Training Start Dates; Sonny Gray Trade Rumors

Spring Training begins in just over a month; Sonny Gray trade rumors
Oakland Athletics Roundup: Wednesday, January 13

After a lengthy winter break in which the Oakland Athletics had little to say, the past week has been filled with updates from the A’s:

• On Monday, the team announced the Spring Training report dates for 2016. Pitchers and catchers will arrive in Mesa by February 20, with their first workout the following day. Meanwhile, the position players will report less than a week later, on February 25, and will begin workouts on February 26. Oakland’s first official Spring Training game will be March 3, when they take on the Los Angeles Angels, but their first home game will be played the following day against the Colorado Rockies.

More from White Cleat Beat

• Zach Logue yet another disappointing Oakland A’s trade return
• Luis Barrera heading to familiar foe in Los Angeles Angels
• Looking back at Ruben Sierra with the Oakland A’s
• San Francisco Giants showing Oakland A’s offseason could be worse
• Lucas Luetge what Oakland A’s need in bullpen

• Billy Beane told MLB Network Radio on SiriusXM over the weekend that right-hander Sonny Gray is unlikely to be dealt. He said that despite “agressive suitors”, Oakland has no intention of dealing their ace. That makes sense, given the lack of stability behind Gray in the rotation. Although the A’s say that now, they’ve shown a willingness in the past to flip-flop on so-called “adamant” stances, so it’s not impossible to think that he could be traded sometime in the future. For now, however, the A’s are all but 100 percent guaranteed to start the season with Gray on the mound.

• MLB.com’s Jane Lee confirmed the probable infield for the 2016 A’s will consist of Marcus Semien at shortstop, Jed Lowrie at second base, and Danny Valencia at third base. She also stated that Yonder Alonso will receive the majority of first-base playing time, with Mark Canha as a pseudo- platoon partner when he is not playing left field. Having so many changes could be a good thing – the A’s infield combination last year certainly needed some improvement – but it also raises concerns about whether they will need time to learn to play together.

In Case You Missed It:

Four Reasons the A’s Should Release Billy Butler – Staff writer Andrew Dambrauskas explains why the Oakland Athletics should release Billy Butler, even if it looks like an impractical move. Be sure to check out the four perfect examples of how this can work in the A’s favor.

A’s Still Looking to Make Moves This Winter – The Athletics have already pulled off a handful of trades and signings, including revamping their infield and relief crew, as well as adding some starters and dealing away the players they felt were expendable. But are they done? Samantha Riley tells us what the team could still potentially do before Spring Training begins.

#Athletics

Next: The Top 50 Players in Oakland Athletics History

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