Three free agents Oakland A’s should sign but won’t spend money on

Marcus Stroman

One of the issues with the Oakland A’s is that they seemingly do not have enough fire. While the likes of Chris Bassitt and Ramon Laureano have become that type of leader, the A’s need more players that have that type of personality. At times, even in big moments, the bench resembled the waiting line at a funeral.

At the same time, the A’s could use another arm in the rotation. Bassitt has emerged as an ace, but they could use someone to pair with him. Someone with fire who could help energize the dugout. Someone such as Marcus Stroman.

As Stroman had the Qualifying Offer attached to him last season, he will be entering free agency without anything to hold him back. His 10-13 record belied a solid 3.02 ERA and a 1.145 WHiP over his 179 innings, while he struck out 158 batters with 44 walks. More importantly, he took the ball for a league leading 33 times, proving that he can be someone that can be counted on every fifth day.

For the A’s, having that type of an arm would go a long way. While Bassitt had been sidelined due to a fluke injury, his 28 starts were by far the most of his career. Stroman may not be the prototypical ace, but he is a strong second starter who would pair well with Bassitt to give the A’s an excellent 1-2 punch.

In a vacuum, bringing Marcus Stroman in would make perfect sense. But Oakland A’s ownership will balk at the idea of spending more than a couple of wooden shekels on a free agent.