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Oakland A’s: 3 biggest disappointments from April

By David Hill

Apr 20, 2021; Oakland, California, USA; Oakland Athletics shortstop Elvis Andrus (17) reacts after a call third strike during the second inning against the Minnesota Twins at RingCentral Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Neville E. Guard-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 20, 2021; Oakland, California, USA; Oakland Athletics shortstop Elvis Andrus (17) reacts after a call third strike during the second inning against the Minnesota Twins at RingCentral Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Neville E. Guard-USA TODAY Sports /
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When April came to an end, the Oakland A’s found themselves where we had all expected them to be. They led a tight AL West, with four teams within 2.5 games of one another. The A’s held a one game lead over the surprising Mariners, with an eye towards expanding that gap over the coming months.

It has not been easy for the A’s to get here. They began the season with a 0-6 record, then split the next two games. A 13 game winning streak put them back into the thick of the divisional race, and they maintained the lead since.

Three biggest disappointments for Oakland A’s in April

While the A’s recent run of success has all but erased their disappointing start, the same cannot be said for some of the players on their roster. There have been plenty of surprises, but there have also been plenty of disappointments. Those disappointments have been easier to overlook with the recent run of success, but they are still there.

Let’s take a look at the three most disappointing players for the Oakland A’s in April.

Trevor Rosenthal

The Oakland A’s emerged as the surprise destination for Trevor Rosenthal, signing him to a one year deal worth $11 million, $8 million of which was deferred. He was supposed to take over as the A’s closer, solidifying the ninth inning as Oakland attempted to remake their buzzsaw of a bullpen.

On the positive side, the A’s have found their closer. The problem is that it is not Rosenthal, who has yet to throw a regular season pitch for the franchise. He underwent surgery for thoracic outlet syndrome just after the start of the season, and hypothetically will not return until August. But that is if everything goes well in his rehab.

The success rates for pitchers returning from thoracic outlet syndrome is not great. It is still a relatively new procedure, one without much data at this point. While information and rehab from the procedure is improving, this is still not something that has the same level of success. It is entirely possible that Rosenthal does not ever throw a pitch as a member of the A’s.

Trevor Rosenthal was supposed to be the Oakland A’s closer in 2021. Instead, he may have been a waste of $11 million.