Hector Olivera
Even though the Oakland A’s seem to be pretty content with their acquisitions this offseason, it was reported that there was a big Athletics presence in the stands at Hector Olivera’s showcase in the Dominican Republic. The A’s were also joined by the San Francisco Giants, the Atlanta Braves, and the San Diego Padres who are all scouting Olivera.
Olivera is a Cuban second baseman who recently left Cuba in order to try and play baseball in the USA. However, he is still not eligible to sign with an MLB team until he obtains his residency papers and license from the Office of Foreign Assets Control. While his eligibility to play in the Majors still may be in limbo, the Oakland A’s are seriously considering Olivera for their 2015 roster.
Olivera has struggled with some health issues including a blood clot in his left bicep, but he hit .316 with an .886 OPS in 2014 and has put up large numbers in the past. During the showcase this past week, it was noted that he has a potential above-average bat because he has power, consistency, and great “strike-zone management”. The Oakland A’s do not have that many true sluggers on their team and Olivera’s bat could be a great addition to the lineup.
Olivera is an average defender at second base and even showed some of his skills at third base for the scouts. He did not seem to have that noteworthy arm that has been seen in the past, but he was able to wrangle ground balls and pop-ups fairly successfully. Even if Olivera’s arm strength has dwindled over the past few years, he would still be an upgrade in the middle infield for the Oakland A’s.
However, he is turning 30 this year and spent the majority of last season as a designated hitter. During his two-day showcase, it was noted that he looked tired on the second day thus questioning his fitness. Additionally, with Olivera’s past health issues, there is some concern about his ability to still play effectively in the middle infield.
If the Oakland A’s were to acquire Olivera, it is suspected that he would play at second base while Ben Zobrist would take on shortstop or left field. That would leave Marcus Semien to be the infield utility man. It would be beneficial for the Oakland A’s to have some more depth in the middle infield since they currently only have Zobrist (who may also take on a role in the outfield), Semien and Eric Sogard covering second base and shortstop. Acquiring Olivera would definitely help round out the infield for the Athletics.
It is suspected that Olivera will not receive as much money as some of his fellow Cuban players who signed MLB contracts this offseason, which is a plus for the budget conscious Oakland A’s. Additionally, the Athletics have put up the money for a quality Cuban player before. Since the Oakland A’s have shed the majority of the All-Star players and their expensive contracts during this offseason, the A’s have enough flexibility in their payroll to acquire Olivera. He will be holding private workouts for various clubs in the coming weeks, and hopefully the Oakland A’s are impressed and go all out to try to bring him back to the Bay Area.
This article Oakland A’s free agent rumors: Hector Olivera appeared first on isportsweb by Sam Riley