Oakland Athletics Report Card: Below Average Grades For June
By Joey Lopez
Overall: D+
The A’s enter July without much of a shot at the playoffs. The division is out of the question and the Wild Card is slipping further and further away from reality.
Bob Melvin and the rest of Oakland’s coaches will need to find ways to get the most out of their younger players. The team figures to only get younger as Gray, Lowrie, Alonso, Madson and perhaps even Doolittle are all expected to generate trade interest this month.
The A’s decision to build for the future will likely result in more losses than wins this year. Giving their younger players some exposure and playing time, though, will help ease the pain moving forward.