The Oakland A’s situation at second base is as clear as mud. They had been hoping to cobble the position together from the group of Tony Kemp, Chad Pinder, Vimael Machin, and Sheldon Neuse, envisioning that one of that group would seize the starting role. However, as that is essentially the same group that fell flat in 2020, a potential upgrade was badly needed.
Oakland added another player to that mix on Wednesday. They signed Jed Lowrie to a minor league deal, hoping to catch lightning in a bottle once again.
The A’s have signed Jed Lowrie to a minor-league deal.
— Robert Murray (@ByRobertMurray) February 10, 2021
Can Jed Lowrie bring anything to the Oakland A’s?
The oft-injured Lowrie has managed to be a star during his previous two tenures with the A’s. Over his five seasons in Oakland, he produced a solid .271/.341/.413 batting line in his 2922 plate appearances, hitting 60 homers and 172 doubles.
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It is easy to forget that he was still active. Lowrie had signed a two year deal with the Mets after the 2018 season, theoretically to serve as a utility player. However, he essentially robbed the Mets for that time, appearing in a total of nine games with eight plate appearances due to a myriad of injuries.
If he is healthy, Lowrie can be a key part of the A’s bench, even if he does not win the second base battle outright. His ability to play second, short, and third makes him a perfect fit, especially given the uncertainty at second and Elvis Andrus‘ recent struggles at shortstop. Lowrie could get plenty of playing time even in a bench role.
But the key is whether or not he is healthy. While Lowrie had generally enjoyed good health with the A’s, the fact remains that he appeared in just nine games over the past two seasons. In fact, the Mets were not even really certain as to what was wrong with Lowrie at times, with his injury situation becoming a circus.
The Oakland A’s are taking a chance on Jed Lowrie. After all, it did work out well for both sides the two other times they joined forces.