Why Was Kyle Blanks Released?
By Tony Frye
Kyle Blanks barely got a chance to show his true colors with the Oakland Athletics, appearing in only 21 games with the team in 2014. In those 21 games, Blanks was able to grab a .333 batting average and knocked out two home runs but a calf injury kept him out of the lineup for much of the season.
On December 2, major league teams were required to either agree to give their arbitration eligible players a contract or release them into free agency. After being designated for assignment in order to make room for the quartet of players acquired in last week’s Josh Donaldson trade, it came as little surprise that Kyle Blanks was not tendered and, thus, became a free agent.
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Having such a talented, capable player who fits the Oakland Athletics’ mold so well leave the team with so little ceremony seemed to perplex some fans who have been scratching their heads for the better part of a month anyway. There are several reasons that I can think of and probably, at least, 18 more that I can’t even imagine as to why Billy Beane would let Kyle Blanks slip through the cracks.
Injury
Kyle Blanks missed a good chunk of the 2014 season due to a severe calf strain in July. It is possible that this strain was worse than has been reported and is either a concern for being a lingering problem that will easily be re-aggravated or maybe is persistent enough, still, to be detrimental to Kyle Blanks’ range.
Options
One other possibility, and possibly the most possible possibility that was ever possibly possiblized, is that Kyle Blanks does not offer the flexibility that the A’s enjoyed in 2014. Melissa Lockard pointed out to me, via Twitter, that Blanks is out of options which means that the Athletics would not have the ability to move him freely between the minors and majors without passing through the waiver wire first.
@GreenCollarBB @mattmcsports27 Injuries have been a constant for him throughout his career, unfortunately. Out of options too.
— Melissa Lockard (@melissalockard) December 3, 2014
This is a potential problem when you’re dealing with a player unlikely to see everyday play. While it’d be great to have him as a backup, pinch player or platoon guy, it seems unlikely that the Athletics would want to keep him on the 25 man roster all year to avoid the famous Rosales back and forth with Texas.
Crowding
Let’s face it, Billy Beane has got at least one big move up his sleeve. The Athletics still need a shortstop and could use an upgrade at second base, at least with the right handed platoon there, but have about 14 first basemen on the roster at the moment. If Brandon Moss gets moved to left field, Billy Butler plays exclusively as a DH, and John Jaso gets behind the dish again, that still leaves Ike Davis and Nate Freiman to handle first base with Moss, Butler, Jaso, and Stephen Vogt capable of stepping in when needed. Kyle Blanks is not going to get any playing time at first base with that many capable players in the mix. Even if Beane trades half of those guys before spring training, you’re still looking at three first base replacements, assuming none of the minor league players make a splash in training.
If Beane thought there was a ton of value in keeping Blanks on the roster, we all know he would have found a way. There are plenty of players with options who could float around until the roster finalized, allowing Kyle Blanks to stay with the team. The truth of the matter is, Billy knows something that we don’t. He either knows that nobody wants Blanks, he won’t pass a physical due to his injury or he’d be lost in the crowd if he stayed in Oakland.
If Beane doesn’t have a big move planned that involves trading (he’s got some decent free agents he can get for cheap if he acts quick) and intends to keep all the guys I mentioned above, Blanks would be the least played of the seven first basemen. I liked the guy as much as you did and was very excited to see him make the squad last year but if it comes down to him and Moss or Jaso, I’ll take the proven bat every time.