Even though the Oakland A’s seems to be wrapping up their offseason, there are still a lot of questions about the upcoming 2015 season. With so many new players on the 40-man roster, it will be interesting to see who falls into what positions after spring training. Before the season begins, let’s take a crack at answering some of the burning questions surrounding the Athletics.
Will Zobrist spend the majority of 2015 in the outfield?
Ben Zobrist
The Oakland A’s picked up Ben Zobrist because he is the perfect utility man. Many are excited about Zobrist’s defensive abilities in the infield since his usual role is as a middle infielder. However, there has been some talk that he could find himself in the outfield quite a bit next season for a couple of reasons.
Currently, the Athletics have Sam Fuld and Craig Gentry covering left field. While both are quality defenders, neither of them was appointed as an outfield starter in 2014. They were mostly used as utility outfielders last season since Josh Reddick and Coco Crisp dealt with numerous injuries and Yoenis Cespedes was traded. Additionally, Crisp does have a weak arm for a center fielder and is injury prone. It may be best to have Crisp DH and Zobrist in center or left in order to increase the depth in the outfield and hold base runners in check.
If General Manager Billy Beane and skipper Bob Melvin plan to put Zobrist in the outfield for the majority of the 2015 season, then they should acquire another middle infielder either to start or back up Eric Sogard and Marcus Semien. Perhaps that is why the Oakland A’s are going after Cuban second baseman Hector Olivera. If the Athletics do end up with an additional middle infielder, I think it is safe to say that Zobrist could spend a large portion of this season in the outfield.
Which newcomer will make the Opening Day rotation?
The Oakland A’s have a surplus of starting pitchers and obviously not all can make the Opening Day rotation. Starters Sonny Gray and Scott Kazmir already have their spots secured as long as they do not get hurt during spring training. Additionally, with Jarrod Parker and A.J. Griffin not available to start the season, it is likely that Jesse Chavez and Drew Pomeranz will earn a spot in the rotation as long as they have maintained their pitch speed, strike zone accuracy, and stamina.
This leaves just leaves one more spot available for a fifth starter. So far, it has been speculated that Jesse Hahn has the best chance out of all the newcomers of making the starting rotation. He came from the San Diego Padres in the trade that sent catcher Derek Norris to Southern California. Hahn has some major league pitching experience and earned a 3.07 ERA with a 1.21 WHIP in 2014. Additionally, Hahn struck out 70 over 73.1 innings pitched and only gave up four homers. Unless one of the other youngsters demonstrates incredible talent during spring training, Hahn will most likely earn the fifth spot in the Oakland A’s starting rotation.
[Oakland A’s: Fernando Abad worthy candidate for closer role]
Who will make the biggest impact during the 2015 season?
Brett Lawrie
Brett Lawrie will make the biggest impact in 2015. Even though the Oakland A’s traded away their best player – Josh Donaldson – in exchange for Lawrie, it seems as though this Canadian will bring a similar spark to third base. Additionally, after being injured last season, Lawrie should have the desire to go above and beyond in order to prove himself to his new fans.
If Lawrie stays completely healthy throughout the entire season, it is expected that his power bat, speed, and consistency will greatly impact the Oakland A’s. Additionally, Lawrie’s defense will be a big improvement at third base. Last season, Lawrie made only two errors in 63 games while Donaldson made 23 errors in 150 games. Extrapolated over a full season, Lawrie can be expected to toe the line defensively and fill the gap left behind by Donaldson’s departure.
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This article Oakland A’s: Three questions entering the 2015 season appeared first on isportsweb by Sam Riley