A’s Mailbag: Hector Olivera, Sogard, and 2016

This week’s mailbag had a lot of people asking about what the A’s plan to do at second base. We’ll answer each of the questions pertaining to the position, and hopefully provide some clarity as to what is going on moving forward.

Sogard just isn’t cutting it for me at 2nd base. His offense isn’t something I don’t think anyone is loving. Do you think Billy Boy is gonna get us a new 2nd base?

Is this you Mr. Donaldson? You’re the only one that has the guts to call Billy Beane “Billy Boy,” so it must be! Up until this morning, there was one free agent out there that could have provided some assistance to Oakland for 2015, in Astrubal Cabrera. Cabrera is reportedly going to sign with the Tampa Bay Rays, so he’s off the table.

The A’s likely don’t need a shortstop/second baseman much past 2015 with Daniel Robertson‘s time in Oakland approaching with Marcus Semien sliding to second when that time comes. We may see one more year of Eric Sogard, or they could go the international route. Thanks for the question, Josh!

What are the odds you say that the a’s sign that cuban second baseman Olivera?

Hector Olivera is a name that has been tossed around by John Hickey recently. The main factor working in the A’s favor with Olivera is that, as Hickey points out, “There won’t be many who have the financial flexibility the A’s have, so Oakland would seem to have a good chance at landing him if they’re convinced he’s the guy for them.” Baseball America ranks the A’s as the #1 landing spot for the Cuban defector, with the Yankees at #3 having just signed Stephen Drew. The Padres are ranked second, and if this offseason is any indication, they may pounce.

So who is this guy? Well, he’s a beast at the plate, holding a .335 batting average from 2008-2012 with some extra pop for a middle infielder. In 2012, he smashed 17 home runs, hit .341, and had a .468 on-base percentage in 214 at-bats. The kicker for me is that he walks more than he strikes out, which you don’t see a lot of from guys with power. In those five seasons, his walk to strikeout rate is almost exactly 2:1. If the A’s want Olivera, there is a good chance they’d be able to land him, in my opinion. The big question is whether or not this is their guy.

Olivera is scheduled to hold a showcase in a couple of weeks, according to Ben Badler of Baseball America, so we should know a little more at that point.

I plan on voting for Sean Doolittle over 100 times

Not a question, but I like the sentiment.

We have a lot of great prospects that seem they’ll be ready for 2016. Do you think that in 2016 we can take it all?

For me, that’s what makes 2015 so intriguing. The moves that Beane has made this offseason brought a lot of new faces to Oakland. There is no way that each of the new players will be a home run, but which players will stand out? Once Billy knows what he has, everything should really start falling into place for 2016. Yes, the A’s have a slew of prospects that could have an impact in 2016, but that doesn’t necessarily mean on opening day. The three main prospects of Robertson (20 years old), Matt Olson (20) and Renato Nunez (20) may all get called up in 2016, but how productive will they be in their first taste of big league ball?

I’m cautiously optimistic about their 2016 chances. If they are going to have a legit shot, their pitching will have to carry a little extra weight while the younger players develop at the major league level.

That’s all for this week! I love answering these questions, so keep ’em coming! Just got to ask.fm/swinginas and ask away.