Oakland A’s: Three options for the outfield
The Oakland A’s need a new left fielder. Let’s take a look at three options that they could consider to fill that vacancy in the outfield.
As of Tuesday, the Oakland A’s officially needed to find a new left fielder. Robbie Grossman had signed a two year deal with the Detroit Tigers, leaving an opening in the A’s lineup.
This had been expected. Ownership has not been willing to spend in the best of times, and after a season without any fans in attendance and concerns about the upcoming season, Grossman was as good as gone. Hope may have sprung eternal until he put the pen to the paper, but this was an expected result.
As it currently stands, Tony Kemp is atop the depth chart in left field. While Kemp has been a solid utility player throughout the years, he struggles against left handed pitching and is best used when he can be strategically replayed. Kemp’s theoretical backup in left is Chad Pinder, who is also listed as the starting second baseman. Needless to say, the A’s need to find an outfielder or two.
Which players could they consider? Let’s look at some potential options for the Oakland A’s.
The internal options
The ideal situation for the Oakland A’s would be for one of their internal options to seize these outfield openings for their own.
There are options on the 40 man roster. Luis Barrera, Seth Brown, Dustin Fowler, and Ka’ai Tom are all potential considerations for an extended look during spring training. As a Rule V draft pick, Tom has to remain on the roster, or be offered back to the Indians. He showed promise as a potential power threat, and has 164 games of experience in left on his minor league resume.
Dustin Fowler may best be remembered for having injured himself attempting to catch a fly ball when he slammed into an exposed electrical box on a short wall, rupturing a tendon in his knee in his major league debut. While he came back to appear in 69 games with the A’s in 2018, he posted a .610 OPS in his 203 plate appearances, hitting six homers and three doubles. Fowler has, however, performed much better in AAA over his career.
Brown may be the leading candidate to take over at this point. He had two 30+ homer seasons in the minors, and showed promise in his 83 plate appearances in 2019. However, he did not get much of a chance to prove himself last year, with just five plate appearances over seven games. At 28 years old, he may not have many more opportunities in an Oakland A’s uniform.
Luis Barrera is also a potential option. The long time minor leaguer finally started to tap into his potential, and was in the midst of an impressive showing in 2019 before injuries ruined his season. Chances are, he will need time at AAA as he has just 90 games of experience above A-ball, but he could get a chance before the end of the 2021 campaign.
While none of those options are particularly exciting, it may not be a surprise to see some of them get a long look this spring.
Jarrod Dyson
Jarrod Dyson has carved out a solid career due to his speed and defensive ability. That skillset could work nicely for the Oakland A’s as a fourth outfielder.
Dyson did not exactly have a strong showing in 2020. In his 66 plate appearances between the Pirates and White Sox, he produced a .180/.231/.180 batting line with six steals. He was essentially a defensive replacement or a pinch runner for Chicago, a role that he had filled through much of his career.
With only 21 career homers, and just two seasons where he has hit more than two home runs, Dyson is not going to be a power threat. He can, however, still steal bases with regularity and provide solid defense at all three outfield positions, something that the A’s could use on their bench.
There is also the financial aspect. Dyson is going to be inexpensive to sign. He signed for just $2 million last year, and based on his struggles, could be looking at a minor league contract. As the A’s are facing financial limitations, he could fit perfectly into their budget.
Jarrod Dyson would not be an exciting signing. However, he would fill a void for the Oakland A’s.
Adam Duvall
Adam Duvall may not seem to be an exciting option for the Oakland A’s in left, but he has the potential to be an impact bat at a reasonably low price.
A former All Star, Duvall has a pair of 30 home run seasons on his resume. He has also been an above average player with the bat over the past two seasons, posting a 114 OPS+ in his 339 plate appearances. In that time, he has belted 26 homers, showing his excellent power. He also has the third highest slugging percentage over the past two seasons of any free agent, trailing only George Springer and Nelson Cruz.
There have been some rumblings around Duvall. The Marlins were reportedly interested in his services, but as they are looking for a left handed hitting right fielder. As Duvall is a right handed hitting left fielder, he would be the opposite of what they are looking for.
He would, however, fit perfectly with the A’s. Duvall would add another solid bat to a lineup that fell flat far too often last season. He may also be relatively inexpensive, as he made just $3.25 million last year. Additionally, he is under team control through 2023, giving Oakland more than just a one year rental.
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The Oakland A’s need to find another piece in the lineup. Adam Duvall could be the perfect fit.