Oakland Athletics Roundup: Drew Pomeranz Has Surgery; Sonny Gray is a Fit for Cubs

Oakland Athletics Roundup: Monday, October 26

Last week, the Oakland Athletics’ Drew Pomeranz had clavicle resection surgery on his left shoulder, after experiencing pain and soreness throughout the season. The procedure was successful, and the left-hander is expected to be back on the mound by Spring Training, following a six-week recovery period in which he won’t participate in baseball activities.

Considering how long Pomeranz has struggled with shoulder issues, it’s surprising that he pitched as well as he did. In 2015, he made nine starts – and posted a 4.63 ERA throughout them. He also made 44 appearances as a reliever, where he exceeded expectations with a 2.61 ERA.

Moving Pomeranz back to the rotation, given his injury history and past performance, would be be a huge mistake. The lefty can be lights-out in the bullpen, so why waste him as a back-end-of-the-rotation starter? He’s incapable of pitching deep into games, his breaking pitches are far from impressive, and his velocity has increased, now that he knows he doesn’t have to conserve pitches to try to make it six innings.

Pomeranz is most useful to the team as a reliever, and that’s where he should stay.

In Case You Missed It:

Catcher Is Only Position Unlikely to Change in 2016 – The A’s don’t have many positions set in stone for next season, following their terrible performances in 2015. But if there’s any place on the diamond where players can feel secure in their jobs for next year, it’s behind the dish. Samantha Riley explains why the Athletics’ catching duo is likely to stay the same.

Angels in the Outfield in Oakland – Daniel Martinez has the light-hearted flashback of the day, as he recalls the significance of the movie Angels in the Outfield to long-time fans of the Coliseum and the Oakland Athletics.

Why Sonny Gray is a Perfect Fit for the Chicago Cubs – Sonny Gray is the A’s ace, and losing him would be a huge blow to the rotation. But is he a good fit elsewhere, and could the A’s rake in some prospects in return? Casey Witt takes a look at one potential destination – the Chicago Cubs.

A’s Non-Tender Candidates: Who Will Go? – With so many A’s players eligible for arbitration, there’s a very good chance that only some will return next year. Who will stay and who will go? Samantha Riley tells us which Athletics are deserving of a return, and which are not.

#Athletics:

Around the Web:

Athletics Nation: Has 2015 Been a Bit of a Draft/Develop Renaissance? – Athletics Nation takes a look at the top teams in this year’s playoffs and finds a trend: they’re not team who’ve purchased the best players, but rather teams that draft and develop their own talent.

Next: Featured: Top Free Agent Targets in 2016