Oakland A’s: David Forst discusses trade deadline plans

Despite being in possession of one of the Wild Card berths, the Oakland A’s are a team that needs help. The bullpen has not lived up to expectations this year, especially with Trevor Rosenthal being sidelined. Right field and shortstop have been disappointments, and there is a need for depth on the roster. This should be a busy trade deadline for the A’s.

At least, it would be a busy trade deadline under normal circumstances. There are questions about the A’s budget and whether or not ownership would be willing to open the vaults for a significant upgrade to the roster. The A’s payroll is currently around $86 million, and while the team has spent as much as $95 million in 2019, it is unclear as to whether or not they will be able to approach that mark again this year.

David Forst shares Oakland A’s plans for trade deadline

General manager David Forst finds himself against that backdrop of uncertainty. He is tasked with attempting to improve the roster while staying in that general salary range. As such, it is not much of a surprise that the A’s primary focus is on upgrading the bullpen at this point.

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Rosenthal’s injuries, multiple surgeries, and inability to pitch this season have left the A’s in a difficult spot with their relief corps. While Lou Trivino has established himself as the closer of the present and future, the rest of the bullpen has question marks. Both Jake Diekman and Yusmeiro Petit have begun to wear down from usage, as the back of the bullpen is not the given it had once been.

The middle of the bullpen has been an issue as well. Sergio Romo is pitching much better lately, but there are still major questions regarding the depth of the relief corps. Oakland has already used 15 relievers this season in an effort to find some stability, which has not happened at this point.

Fortunately for the A’s budget, there are plenty of relievers available that would not cost much monetarily. Even if the A’s focus on a middle reliever or two, it could make a major difference going forward. In a race as close as both the AL West and the Wild Card should be, having that bullpen depth could make a major difference.

The Oakland A’s are focusing on their bullpen ahead of the trade deadline. Given the struggles of their relief corps, it is not a surprise.