Oakland Athletics Roundup: A Difference in Rotations; Rangers and Derek Norris?

A’s Should Envy Indians’ Rotation; Rangers Interested in Derek Norris
Oakland Athletics Roundup: Friday, March 18

As the resident Cleveland Indians fan on Swingin’ A’s, I feel obligated to point out that the Oakland Athletics will be taking on the Tribe on Friday afternoon.

According to FanGraphs, the Indians are predicted to win the American League Central Division, in large part due to their outstanding rotation. Corey Kluber, Carlos Carrasco, Danny Salazar and Trevor Bauer are all guaranteed roster spots, while Cody Anderson and Josh Tomlin are dueling for the final opening. The first four names in their rotation were in the AL Top 12 in strikeouts last season, and Kluber, Salazar and Carrasco were all inside the Top 20 in ERA as well.

Meanwhile, Sonny Gray was the only A’s pitcher among the Top 30 in either category. In part, this was because the Athletics had a lot of injury issues and subsequent missed playing time, whereas the Indians’ top four pitched the majority of the season. But the primary reason is that Cleveland might just have the best rotation in the game, excluding – perhaps  – the New York Mets.

The key for the Indians has been locking up their young pitchers early and often – and that’s something A’s fans should be envious of. Even though Cleveland is a small-market team (and notoriously cheap), if their recent attitude towards starting pitching is any indication, Sonny Gray would have already been signed long-term if he were an Indians starter. The Athletics need to follow in the Tribe’s footsteps when it comes to contract extensions.

In Case You Missed It

Throwback Thursday: DH Dave ‘Kong’ Kingman – In the mood for some nostalgia? Rich Paloma takes a look at Dave Kingman. Some remember Kingman for his bat, while others remember his disdain for the press. Rich takes a look at all aspects of the slugger’s career in this edition of our Throwback Thursday feature.

Athletics Prospect Matt Chapman Deserves A Call-Up in 2016 – Samantha Riley takes a look at the Spring Training of A’s prospect Matt Chapman and takes a very bold stance on how much longer he should wait before making his big league debut.

#Athletics

Next: Who will win the remaining A's bullpen spot?

Around the Web

Nolan Writin’: Rangers Eyeing Trade for Derek Norris – Over at Nolan Writin’, Kenneth Nash explores the rumor that the Texas Rangers are interested in trading for catcher Derek Norris. Of course, catching depth is limited all over the league, so expect the Padres to have quite a high asking price. Like the A’s, the Rangers were interested in Jonathan Lucroy this winter, but nothing panned out. It seems that catchers could be the biggest commodity this season, especially once the trade deadline approaches. With the exception of a few organizations, there are also very few quality catching prospects in the minor leagues, so this could be the beginning of a lengthy struggle for many teams.