Oakland A’s have impressive pitching depth in their rotation
Teams everywhere are looking to add as much pitching depth as possible heading into this year. The Oakland A’s already had that depth on hand, even before they brought Mike Fiers back on a one year deal.
While teams have been scrambling to find pitching depth, the A’s are theoretically nine deep in the rotation. James Kaprielian and Grant Holmes may have already been sent to the A’s minor league camp, but that does not mean that they will not play a role in the coming year.
That depth will be all the more important this season. After the shortened 2020 season, teams are going to be cautious when it comes to their pitchers. Starters may not be going as deep into games as they normally would be, and having pitchers in the bullpen that can pitch multiple innings will be vital.
Likewise, the A’s rotation is not exactly a bastion of health. Having those additional arms on hand could be vital when their starters miss time. As it is, both Fiers and A.J. Puk are question marks for the start of the season, meaning that the A’s may need to tap into that depth earlier than anticipated.
At least they have the depth to be able to withstand those injuries. The Oakland A’s are in much better shape than the other teams in the division on that end.