Oakland Athletics: The battle for second base

The Oakland Athletics have four players vying to be their starting second baseman. Let’s take a look at the candidates.

For the most part, the Oakland Athletics roster is set. There will be the usual battles for those final spots in the bullpen, and to fill out the bench, but the starting lineup is practically set in stone. All that remains is for the A’s to get through the shutdown, and the restarted spring training, healthy.

There is, however, one spot in the lineup that has yet to be determined. Second base is a quagmire, with four players competing for the starting role or a spot on the bench. Three of these players do not have any minor league options left. The fourth, Rule V draftee Vimael Machin, has to remain in the majors all season, or be sent back to the Cubs.

Further complicating matters is the presence of Chad Pinder. The A’s super utility player has made 71 appearances at second base over his career. He will likely get the occasional start at the keystone, as he fills in around the diamond. However, depending on who the A’s use as their primary second baseman, Pinder could find himself as part of a platoon at the position.

Considering that his super utility spot appears assured, Pinder will not be considered as a part of this battle. Let us take a look at the candidates to be the starting second baseman of the Oakland Athletics.

Tony Kemp

Acquired in the offseason for minor leaguer Alfonso Rivas, Tony Kemp could also fill a utility role for the Oakland Athletics. However, during spring training action, he had received the majority of the action at the keystone with the rest of the projected starters.

Kemp has done his part to show that this is the correct decision. He has produced a .345/.412/.483 batting line in 34 plate appearances, hitting a double, a homer, and stealing a base while drawing four walks.

Just two years ago, Kemp looked like a possible super utility player for the Astros, posting a 105 OPS+ while showing solid power and speed. He had played all three outfield positions in addition to seeing time at second. However, he struggled last year, leading to his being sent to the Cubs for Martin Maldonado. Kemp struggled even more in Chicago, and was potentially on the roster bubble before his trade to Oakland.

That is not to say that Kemp has been overly successful in the majors. He has produced a combined .233/.314/.367 batting line, hitting 29 doubles and 15 homers while stealing 16 bases. Kemp has displayed a solid batting eye and contact skills, with 70 walks and just 123 strikeouts in 749 plate appearances.

Of all the candidates for the second base job, Tony Kemp’s spot on the Oakland Athletics appears most secure, given his ability to play all three outfield positions as well. If he continues to be a hot bat when spring training resumes, he may be, at worst, part of a platoon at second.

Franklin Barreto

Once considered the Oakland Athletics’ second baseman of the future, it is now or never for Franklin Barreto.

A consensus top 100 prospect from 2015 through 2018, and a part of the ill-fated Josh Donaldson trade, Barreto has proven that he can handle AAA. In his 1285 plate appearances in Nashville, he has produced a .285/.356/.505 batting line, hitting 64 doubles and 53 homers while stealing 35 bases.

However, that production has not followed Barreto to the majors. In three brief stints from 2017 through 2019, he has looked completely overmatched. Over the course of his 209 major league plate appearances, he has produced a horrendous .189/.220/.378 batting line, hitting seven doubles and nine homers. Even more concerning, Barreto has just seven walks and 85 strikeouts, giving him the appearances of a Quad-A player.

For his part, Barreto has performed well in spring training. Prior to the shutdown, he had produced a .306/.359/.528 batting line in 39 plate appearances, hitting four doubles and two triples. Perhaps this is the beginning of the long awaited breakout? Or is this just a blip on the radar?

Franklin Barreto also has the ability to play short and bats right handed. It is possible he could emerge as part of a platoon with Tony Kemp at second for the Oakland Athletics. It is also possible that his days in the A’s organization are numbered.

Vimael Machin

Vimael Machin is essentially the type of player that the Oakland Athletics love. That certainly helps his chances of making the Opening Day roster.

Machin has served as a utility player in the minors, spending time at first, second, and third primarily. He has also played short and all three outfield positions, although he has just 40 innings of outfield experience.

He also is considered to have an advanced approach at the plate. Over his five seasons in the Cubs system, Machin had produced a .265/.358/.371 batting line, with 78 doubles and 25 homers. Although he has just 56 plate appearances at AAA, he has held his own in spring training, with a .333/.444/.400 batting line in 36 plate appearances, drawing six walks and striking out just six times.

Machin knows what he is as a player. He took inspiration from former A’s utility man Ben Zobrist during his time in the Cubs system, looking to become that same sort of player. With his defensive versatility and approach at the plate, it is possible that Machin could end up being that type of player.

Vimael Machin is certainly intriguing, and has performed well enough to warrant a spot as the Oakland Athletics’ 26th man on the roster. Unless he craters when spring training resumes, he is likely to have a place in Oakland come Opening Day.