With the 2014 regular season drawing to a close next week, it is easy to start thinking about what changes will be made to the Oakland A’s team during the offseason. Seeing as GM Billy Beane constructed a one-time, playoff push team through various acquisitions in July and August, it seems as though the offseason may be a rebuilding year even if the A’s are successful in the postseason.
When looking at the Oakland A’s starting rotation, it is made up of many pitchers who were acquired just to help the Athletics make it to and through the postseason. However, it is unlikely that many of them will stay with the Oakland A’s for 2015. This will probably be the case for starting pitchers Jon Lester, Jason Hammel, and possibly Jeff Samardzija. With three out of the five starting pitchers probably leaving after this season, what will the Oakland A’s starting rotation look like in 2015?
Currently, the only starting pitcher that the Oakland A’s have signed for 2015 is Scott Kazmir. Kazmir has been a solid and reliable starter for the Athletics this season even though he is currently going through a rocky patch. He has a 14-9 winning record with a 1.18 WHIP. If he is able to refocus during the offseason and reign in his fastball so that it does not hang out over the plate, he will be a solid starting pitcher for the Athletics.
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Even though youngster Sonny Gray is currently only signed to a one year contract, it is likely that he will stay with the Oakland A’s for 2015. Gray is still pre-arbitration eligible and the Athletics are not looking to trade him anytime soon. He has been great for the A’s this year with a 3.21 ERA and 178 strikeouts in 210 IP in his first full season as an MLB starting pitcher. In his most recent outing, he struck out 12 batters – this included striking out Los Angeles Angels star outfielder and power hitter Mike Trout three times – which is the most strikeouts recorded by an Athletic in a single game since 2006. The Oakland A’s would be crazy to get rid of such young talent during the offseason.
Now it becomes a little tricker. There is still long relievers turned starters Drew Pomeranz and Jesse Chavez to consider along with A.J. Griffin and Jarrod Parker who both underwent Tommy John surgery at the beginning of last season. Since Griffin did not undergo surgery until late April, it is possible that he will not be fully rehabbed before the start of the season. If that is the case, then the decision becomes a little easier as to who will be appointed as a starting pitcher for 2015.
Jarrod Parker
Parker was suppose to be the Oakland A’s Opening Day starting in 2014. As long as he recovers successfully from his injury, it would not be surprising to see him back in the starting rotation. He has a fully library of pitches with a four-seam and two-seam fastball, a changeup, a curveball, and the occasional slider. If he is able to retain these pitches after rehabbing, Parker will definitely be one of the Oakland A’s starting pitchers next season.
Chavez and Pomeranz have both been successful this year transitioning from the bullpen to the starting rotation. Even though they have both fallen back into the long reliever position with Pomeranz even residing in Triple-A, each showed that they had the goods to make it as starting pitchers. If the Athletics are able to keep both pitchers around for 2015, they would probably want to keep one of them as the long reliever while the other starts since the A’s do like to have depth in the bullpen.
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When it comes to prospects, there are not many starting pitchers that will make it to the big leagues next season. Right handed pitcher Raul Alcantara may have had a fighting chance to make the starting rotation for 2015 however he also underwent Tommy John surgery in May of this year. When he is healthy, Alcantara has a solid fastball and a refined changeup along with an inconsistent slider. This injury was definitely a setback for Alcantara, but he is only 21 years old and will hopefully bounce back from the surgery quickly.
The Oakland A’s have a surplus of starting pitchers, but who will be in the starting rotation in 2015 is still very much up in the air. There is even talk that the Athletics might try to keep on Jason Hammel for another year even though his transition over to Oakland was a rough one and he is the third highest paid starting pitcher behind Lester and Kazmir. If the Oakland A’s do not acquire anyone over the offseason – which is very unlikely – then I believe that starting rotation will be Kazmir, Gray, Parker (if healthy), Pomeranz, and Chavez. It all really depends on how much the Oakland A’s are willing to pay, who is healthy, and who the Oakland A’s may want to keep in the bullpen for depth purposes.
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This article Oakland A’s: Predicting the 2015 starting rotation appeared first on isportsweb by Sam Riley