A strong bullpen on a 60 win team is essentially the equivalent of expensive rims on a Yugo. Sure, they may be nice, but they are not worth the cost considering everything else surrounding them. Such is the case with the Oakland A’s.
Despite their numerous holes on the roster, the A’s have managed to stumble across a solid bullpen. The quintet of Dany Jimenez, A.J. Puk, Zach Jackson, Sam Moll, and Domingo Acevedo were better than anyone could have imagined, making it possible that the A’s have their bullpen core already in place.
Oakland A’s could have tradable assets in bullpen
Finding as many major league caliber pieces as possible is critical for the A’s. They struggled in every facet of the game last year, failing to do much of anything on either side of the ball. Oakland’s bullpen could be the closest to a worthwhile collection of talent on the roster.
At the same time, those pieces could be their most tradable assets aside from Sean Murphy. Each of these pieces has years of team control left, making them attractive to any teams looking to contend in the near future.
Yes, there are concerns. Puk cannot handle the ninth inning and has been injury prone. Jimenez battled shoulder issues for most of the season. Jackson has command problems. Moll and Acevedo outperformed their metrics. However, the A’s were also able to package Lou Trivino in a trade at the deadline. Teams are always searching for options in the bullpen, and the A’s group of controllable relievers could be more valuable on the trade front than one may have expected.
The Oakland A’s could have an unexpected source of trade capital this offseason. Their collection of relievers could be in demand.