Oakland A’s: Reflecting on their 2021 Spring Training
March is ending, the sun is shining, and teams are making their final roster decisions. This can only mean one thing: OPENING DAY IS THIS WEEK! As we enter the most magical time of the year, let’s take some time to reflect on this spring training for the Oakland A’s.
The Oakland A’s Should Televise More Spring Games
In 2021, the A’s played 11 more spring training games compared to the previous year. Despite this disparity in games, the A’s were on TV less in 2021. Perhaps there are financial or COVID explanations for this; however, I’m sure I was not alone in wanting to watch more A’s action.
The games aren’t the most actioned pack, but there are fans like myself who desperately want to see if an almost 37-year-old Jed Lowrie can still move around enough to play second or get a peek at what the A’s future has in store. After four cold, baseball-less months, hearing the radio crew’s voices was very welcomed, but most of the fun of spring training is seeing new faces and the unique skills they might bring to a squad, either in the near or far future. Hopefully, in 2022, we will get to see more green and gold in March.
Jed Is Back!
I’ve said this sentence so much over the past month. I can’t help it; I’m too giddy. When the news broke that Lowrie was joining the A’s as a non-roster invitee, I was very interested to see what Old Man Jed could do this spring. It seems that everyone with the Oakland Athletics was as well, and as the A’s Opening Day roster is solidifying, it looks like the Lowrie Train is going full steam ahead.
The goofball in me thinks it hilarious that Jed Lowrie has joined the “Three Separate Oakland A’s stints” club, whose only other member is the Greatest Atheltic of all Time, Rickey Henderson. The emotional sap in me is happy to have a veteran with a deep history on the team, including an exciting playoff run in 2013. The 2021 A’s fan in me is excited that the Oakland A’s might have an offensive presence playing second base, which hasn’t happened since… Jed Lowrie left after the 2018 season.
The A’s Have Some Fun Depth
Spring is the time for optimism, and I feel optimistic about some of the players on the fringe of the 26 man roster. Buddy Reed made the boldest introduction with dazzling defensive highlights and aggressive baserunning. Sadly, he won’t be on the Oakland A’s Opening Day roster due to injury.
Jed Lowrie getting starts as second will allow the other second base options, Tony Kemp and Chad Pinder, to maximize their versatility. Both players have experience playing infield and outfield, and if one of the two doesn’t have to start, Bob Melvin potentially has his most malleable roster yet. Kemp and Pinder complement the roster in other ways as bench bats. Kemp bats left-handed and Pinder bats right, which allows for multiple platoon possibilities across the diamond. Kemp and Pinder are also athletic, and both can be used as a pinch-runner or a defensive replacement if a situation calls for one.
The one position Pinder can’t back up is catcher, but the catching depth has also looked promising. Newly acquired Aramis Garcia had the most plate appearance out of all the catching options, and he made the most of them. Garcia slashed .384/.485/.500, earning the backup catcher role behind Sean Murphy. It’s generally wise not to put much stock into spring training numbers. That said, a competent backup catcher is a valuable thing to have on the team, and Garcia has earned the attention with his performance.
The most feel-good performance of the spring came from Kai’ai Tom. Tom was acquired by the A’s in the Rule 5 draft, the same avenue that Mark Canha and Viamel Machin took to Oakland. If there were any questions about Tom’s ability to crack a major league roster, he answered them. The 27-year rookie played good defense at each outfield position, hit .321, and had almost half of his hits were of the extra-base variety. While the Oakland A’s outfield has a lot of talent, Tom bats left-handed and can provide pinch-hit at-bats, much-needed rest for Canha and Laureano, and if he continues to produce, he might even find himself in a platoon role.
Shortstop is a Little Scary
This is the downer section of the Oakland A’s spring training recap.
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As I said earlier, spring training numbers don’t mean a lot, but it’s not hard to feel uneasy about Elvis Andrus. While most of the prospective 26 man roster infielders put up good to respectable numbers, Andrus didn’t hit over .200. The aging shortstop saw a sharp decline in 2020, both defensively and offensively, and he didn’t show a lot this spring to put A’s fans’ minds at ease.
The reasons to not freak out? Andrus has played in the majors since he was 20 and was a significant contributor to a team that made the World Series at 21. The man is about as veteran-y as a veteran can get. Andrus is no stranger to getting himself ready for a season and knows what to do to get in shape, and he’s earned some forgiveness considering how successful his career has been so far.
It’s also easy to forget that he is only 32 years old. No spring chicken, yet not ancient either. There is a chance that less playing time and a few tweaks bring some life back into his bat.
If Andrus shows that he can’t maintain the starting shortstop role, 22-year-old prospect Nick Allen can get called up to the show mid-season. As a non-roster invitee this spring, Allen’s offense was as advertised: scrappy plate approach with not a lot of pop. Allen’s primary tool is his defense, which could reach Gold Glove level. With Allen alongside Matt Chapman, it’s hard to imagine many ground balls getting through the left side of the infield.
Next. Lowrie joins Opening Day roster. dark
The Oakland A’s saw many good performances this spring, and the reasons for A’s fans to be excited are plentiful. The AL West division will be pretty tight this year, but the green and gold should be right in the middle of the mix.