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Offseason Review Chat: Oakland A's (2/24/23)
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Steve Adams
8:47
Greetings everyone! The team-specific chats paired with the Offseason Outlooks were a lot of fun -- looking forward to talking A's for an hour or so later on today! I'll be back at 2pm CT to kick things off, but feel free to submit questions in advance!
2:02
Sorry to run a couple of minutes late! Let's get underway
Denny Doyle
2:03
What are your expectations for Shintario Fujinami?  Starter, at least to begin the season?
Steve Adams
2:04
The A's said he'll open the season in the rotation. Given the command issues he had in Japan and the struggles he's had in recent seasons, I have a hard time envisioning him sticking in the role. My assumption was a big league team would sign him as a reliever.
2:06
The velocity is intriguing, and perhaps a new set of coaches can help him get back to the form he had early on in his NPB career, but I feel like he's ultimately going to be a reliever here.

To be clear, I think the price the A's paid is fine and I like the gamble for them. And there's no harm in seeing if he's capable of sticking as a starter first. If you hit that long shot, it's a pretty high payoff.
MoastlyToasty
2:06
Knowing how Oakland operates, which players are most likely to be traded away this season?
Steve Adams
2:07
Tony Kemp, Ramon Laureano, Paul Blackburn, Trevor May, Seth Brown, Manny Pina, Jesus Aguilar, Drew Rucinski and Fujinami are all guys I expect to be out there this summer, depending on health and performance.

There aren't many names who'll be off limits -- mostly just the guys who Oakland can control for four, five, six seasons.
2:08
If he performs well to begin the season, Laureano's trade value will rise in a hurry. In that scenario, he'll likely command the highest return.
Mike
2:09
Generally speaking, a lot of the new guys either had great seasons prior to 2022 (veterans) or have great numbers in the minors and could break out soon (they are young enough). Could the A's surprise if the veterans get back to 2021 numbers and the young guys put up league average seasons? Or is there no hope?
Steve Adams
2:11
I hate being the guy who just writes a team off entirely prior to the season, but I really just can't see a path to them competing this year. They basically would need Laureano, Kemp, etc. to all get back to pre-2022 form, Blackburn to be healthy and look like he did before the hand injury, both Rucinski and Fujinami to have like 75th percentile outcomes and then something like 6-7 prospects all hit at once.

There's just way too much that'd need to go right, and a lot of the guys they're hoping will take a step forward are players the industry doesn't hold in especially high regard.
Gup
2:12
who do you see as the A's starting infield ?
Steve Adams
2:15
I think it'll be kind of a rotating cast rather than set starters at every position. Jace Peterson will probably get the bulk of the reps at third base, Nick Allen at shortstop. Second base, a combination of Kemp/Aledmys Diaz... first base Jesus Aguilar, Seth Brown.

But it's probably by design that so many of their players can handle multiple positions. They're going to mix and match. Jordan Diaz can play all over the infield whenever he comes up. Zack Gelof will probably be the favorite for 2B time if he's promoted, but he can also play 3B. Etc.
jmccullough
2:15
Can Esty Ruiz break with the big club ?
Steve Adams
2:15
Absolutely. He already has some big league time, he posted big numbers in the upper minors, and the A's are obviously high on him. I'm sure they're hoping he hits well this spring and is out there on Opening Day.
SMAC
2:16
How quickly do you see JJ Bleday contributing regularly for the A’s especially if Laureano gets dealt soon?
Steve Adams
2:16
I don't think Laureano will get dealt soon -- at least not if you mean prior to the season.
Laureano's stock was sky-high before the PED suspension and last year's down year. Trading him now would be selling so low, whereas a few good months to open the year will put him right back in demand.
2:18
As for Bleday, I think he'll get a chance out of the gate, but he's not someone I'm particularly high on, personally. The swing-and-miss has escalated as he's climbed through the minors, he's corner-over-center defensively -- I was pretty confounded by the Bleday/Puk swap, honestly... more so than most of the A's other recent trades.
Jack_S
2:18
How quickly do you see the A's back in contention? Are they years or a year away?
Steve Adams
2:19
Years. Multiple. They're about as far off as any team in MLB, in my view.
Don't mess with the Jesus
2:19
Over/Under 20 homers tor Aguilar this year?
Steve Adams
2:20
I'll take the over and give him 20+. He hit 16 even in a down season last year. I think the Aguilar deal was a perfectly sensible one.
Greg
2:20
which big prospects do you expect to get called up this year? Of them, which are you most excited about?
Steve Adams
2:22
Gelof is probably their top-ranked guy who could also plausibly reach the Majors this season. I guess Shea Langeliers isn't technically a prospect anymore, but the catching job is his to lose.
2:23
If Langeliers breaks out, perhaps that'll help convince the A's to move off the idea of Tyler Soderstrom as a catcher, which could push him to the big leagues as a power-hitting first baseman/DH as soon as this year. If they're intent on keeping him behind the dish, the timeline's probably slower.
TK
2:23
Confused by some of the A's free agent acquisitions -- Aledmys Diaz and Jace Peterson -- taking up roster space that could've gone to younger guys, and not likely to fetch a meaningful trade return at the deadline. Any reason for these that you can think of?
Steve Adams
2:26
To some extent it's that some of the names they acquired in last offseason's trades just didn't pan out the way they'd hoped. If Kevin Smith had seized a regular spot in the infield, they probably don't make one of those signings.

Peterson and Diaz can play all over, and that level of versatility will serve the A's well in that they can move to another position if Gelof, Jordan Diaz, Jonah Bride, etc. looks good and forces his way into the big league mix.

The other thing is probably just that the A's needed to spend SOME money -- they were only just reinstated as a revenue-sharing recipient -- and they're not going to be a popular free-agent destination for a lot of position players who are drawing interest from contending clubs or for rebound hopefuls who don't want to play half their games at the Coliseum.
BEF0626
2:27
Ruiz seems to be one of the hardest guys to project. If he gets on base enough he could steal 50+. But the skillset suggests he's going to struggle. Considering what they gave up to get him, is it fair to assume that he'll be out there almost every day, no matter the results?
Steve Adams
2:30
It's fair to assume he'll be given a chance to hold down an everyday role, but if he's not hitting for a prolonged period of time, he does have minor league options left.

The skill set is alluring, but the dearth of quality contact is troubling. I hope he can hold his own for at least passable offense; it's pretty rare you see someone steal 80+ bases in a single season like Ruiz did in '22
Wire Fan
2:30
Who is the next A's pitcher dealt?
Steve Adams
2:32
If I had to bet, I'd pick Trevor May. I think any of May, Blackburn, Rucinski, Fujinami could go, but I think May will prove to be a very good pickup for them, and on a one-year deal, he's gone if he's pitching well this summer.
Andrew
2:33
Who do you see representing the A’s at the 2023 All-Star Game?
Steve Adams
2:34
This is honestly a really difficult pick. They'll have to have someone. Ken Waldichuk? May is probably an option here, too. I do like that pickup and think that in a park that suppresses homers, he's going to put up strong numbers as long as he's healthy.
Brendan
2:35
Does Soderstrom project to be a future catcher, 1st baseman, or corner outfielder?  I've seen questions about his defense behind the plate but more so his bat is valuable enough for the A's to consider using him somewhere other than catcher if Langeliers is going to be the everyday backstop.
Steve Adams
2:36
I think he'll eventually move off the position -- in part because I see Langeliers as a viable big league catcher and in part because Soderstrom's glove back there just isn't well regarded outside of Oakland.
Regarding Fuji
2:36
Hi- regarding Fujinami: you’ve mentioned his name twice as a possible trade candidate.  Do you think he signed from overseas with the understanding he could almost immediately be a trade asset in Oak?  Seems like they’d be doing themselves a disservice long-term by dealing a higher profile player just mere months after signing him.
Steve Adams
2:39
It's fair to wonder whether he'd be upset by that, but there's no way it's something he'd be blindsided by. He knows the situation the A's are in, and even if he's not familiar with their history, his agent sure is (Scott Boras).

As for long-term implications, I don't think the A's are really going to be players for any high-profile players coming over from NPB/KBO. I wouldn't characterize Fujinami as high-profile in terms of his current skill set (more so in name recognition). That's not intended to be disrespectful to the player, but if the skill set were more in demand, the asking price would've exceeded the $3.25MM at which the A's signed him.
Gary Sanchez
2:39
Could I be an option for this team, even on an NRI?
Steve Adams
2:40
Sensible fit to me. They wouldn't have a hard time getting him onto the roster as a third catcher/DH. And if Langeliers needs to go down to AAA, you could run with Pina/Sanchez for awhile, sure.
Besides the $
2:40
Why not pick up a Dylan Bundy and or a Chris Archer on a one-year incentivized contract in hopes they become trade assets?
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