Oakland A’s making effort to keep Tommy La Stella
The Oakland A’s have repetitively stated that they would love to bring Tommy La Stella back. Monday offered the first sign that they are trying.
Seemingly since the offseason began, the Oakland A’s have been insistent that they would like to bring Tommy La Stella back. It is understandable as to why that would be the case – he solidified second base for the stretch run and his defensive versatility perfectly fits in with the A’s. However, La Stella’s skillset would fit perfectly with many other teams as well.
The A’s showed the first signs of actually trying to bring La Stella back on Monday. Although a reunion is not imminent, they have at least started the conversation with his representatives.
I’m told the A’s have been in touch with Tommy La Stella’s representatives. That doesn’t ensure a reunion of course but does indicate that the team did mean the 800 times they’ve said they’d love to bring him back. They’re at least making some effort.
— Susan Slusser (@susanslusser) December 14, 2020
La Stella was exactly what Oakland needed last year at the keystone. He produced a .289/.369/.423 batting line in his 111 plate appearances in Oakland, hitting six doubles and a homer. His impressive batting eye and contact skills led to 12 walks and just five strikeouts in that time, as he gave the A’s a viable offensive threat at the position.
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His presence allowed both Chad Pinder and Tony Kemp to return to more of a utility role, a position that is better for the A’s success. Should La Stella depart in free agency, then the A’s would be back to the Kemp/Pinder platoon that they began the 2020 campaign with, essentially ending up back where they started.
But this all comes back to whether or not the A’s will be able to retain La Stella. They are likely to have plenty of competition in free agency, especially as he can play third base as well. The market at the hot corner is fairly underwhelming outside of Justin Turner, making La Stella an even more interesting option.
It also does not cost anything to talk to his representation. The A’s can at least say they attempted to bring La Stella back now that they have been in contact no matter the outcome. It would certainly be best if he returned, but the A’s can claim that they tried to try.
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The Oakland A’s want Tommy La Stella back. On Monday, they made sure his representatives were away of that desire.