Oakland Athletics’ Inbox: Taking a Leap of Faith

We’re only in the first week of May and the Oakland Athletics are knocking on the cellar door of the American League West. Instead of “jumping ship” on the 2015 season, many of us at this point — are ultimately taking a leap of faith, hoping that the green and gold will turn this dismal start into a summer to remember. When most major league teams or professional athletes are in a slump, losing streak, whatever the case may be, the best thing to do is try something different. This week I’m answering your questions — so get your rally caps, four-leaf clovers, stirrup socks, lucky rabbit’s foot, and assess what can be done to potentially turn a slow start into a winning streak.

With the continuing bullpen struggles, would we expect to see Venditte recalled from Nashville?

— Mike O’Dowd, @odowd_mike

There’s no question with inconsistent performances from Oakland’s relief corps — that changes to stabilize any late-inning lead are vital if the A’s want to potentially be playing meaningful games come August or September. To increase those chances, we’ve seen a revolving door of set-up men making their journey to the big-league club including: R.J. Alvarez, Chris Bassitt, Fernando Rodriguez, Chad Smith, and as of this Friday — Angel Castro. You’d think an ambidextrous pitcher sporting a 1.10 ERA in 16 1/3 innings for the Nashville Sounds would be more than credible enough to make his major league debut for the green and gold; but there’s one considerable factor preventing this from happening — his K/BB ratio. While Venditte has gotten off to a stellar start for Oakland’s Triple-A affiliate, he’s surrendered nine walks in eight appearances thus far in the season. One might respond by saying, “That’s not such a big deal! The A’s bullpen has surrendered free passes left and right just on this road trip — lets give this guy a shot!” Trust me, I’ve been on the Pat Venditte hype train since the A’s acquired him in November. Once he’s able to get this aspect of his game under control, I could honestly see a call-up later this month or during the beginning of June; and making a big splash for the Athletics when he’s ready.

Have the A’s ever employed a hypnotist? They need one for the Cowpen.”

— Vogt’s Helmet, @VogtsHelmet

Great question! I haven’t particularly seen or heard anything about a hypnotist being employed by the A’s organization, but it wouldn’t surprise me at all if a player struggling to find their command, release point, or timing referred to one to get back on track. Coincidently, I read an article from the Toronto Star a few weeks ago that addressed the San Francisco Giants and their urgency to call on a hypnotist to quit chewing tobacco. A couple of the coaches and players spent several hours in a relaxed near-sleep state, where the toxic ingredients were listed one-by-one. There was even an experiment where a stack of magazines were tossed to the ground — ultimately symbolizing the need to quit or get over their habit. Obviously, a 162-game season can take a toll on the best of today’s athletes — both physically and mentally. For the bullpen, I think the best way to overcome these hurdles is to remember that each person on the 25-man roster is here for a reason. They’ve been around the game for a while and it’s only a matter of time before adjustments are made and we’re seeing the typically, lights out bullpen we all know and love.

When does bullpen coach Scott Emerson start feeling some heat from Bob Melvin and Billy Beane?

— LibertyLoudSpeak, @LibertyLoud

To be honest — I don’t necessarily think Scott Emerson is someone to be worried about despite the recent struggles from the Athletics bullpen. While part of his responsibility is to go over scouting reports with the pitchers: what pitches the opposition likes to hit, struggle with, etc., there’s only so much he can do before a reliever gets the call. It’s a long season and the relief corps are bound to settle in. We know this team is better than what the statistics are show-casing. You’ve got to believe that Curt Young, Bob Melvin, and Billy Beane will do everything in their power to get the pitching staff on track.

What return could we get if the A’s traded Billy Butler?

— Steven Witt, @GreenandRolld11

More from White Cleat Beat

• Zach Logue yet another disappointing Oakland A’s trade return
• Luis Barrera heading to familiar foe in Los Angeles Angels
• Looking back at Ruben Sierra with the Oakland A’s
• San Francisco Giants showing Oakland A’s offseason could be worse
• Lucas Luetge what Oakland A’s need in bullpen

I would go into shock! I’m still trying to get over the trades of

,

, and

. If the A’s were to even consider trading Billy Butler admist a fresh three year, thirty million dollar contract — then that means

,

, and

are packing their bags as well — and that’s something I really don’t want to think about. Beane acquired Butler for a reason and that was to bring his veteran leadership and opposite-field hitting to a young club attempting to rebound from a horrid 2014 second-half. When he’s on a roll, there isn’t a better guy to have in the middle of the A’s lineup. Now if you think the Athletics should make an acquisition to ignite the club’s performance, I would look no further than the Milwaukee Brewers. They’ve made it clear that just about everybody is available — excluding catcher

. I would consider starting pitcher

as a trade target considering the horrific news of

in Nashville on Friday. He was making a start for the Sounds when he threw a wild-pitch and could almost immediately be seen in excruciating pain. As if that wasn’t enough,

has been dealing with some shoulder discomfort — so I see no problem trying to shore up the pitching staff.

Next: A's 2015 Season Almanac Index