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Oakland Athletics: Felix Doubront Could Earn Spot in 2016 Starting Rotation

By Samantha Riley

Sep 28, 2015; Anaheim, CA, USA; Oakland Athletics starting pitcher Felix Doubront (53) in the first inning of the game against the Los Angeles Angels at Angel Stadium of Anaheim. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 28, 2015; Anaheim, CA, USA; Oakland Athletics starting pitcher Felix Doubront (53) in the first inning of the game against the Los Angeles Angels at Angel Stadium of Anaheim. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports /
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Lefty Felix Doubront is the dark horse when it comes to making the Oakland Athletics’ 2016 starting rotation

The Oakland Athletics’ starting rotation for 2016 seemed to be set before spring training even began. With Sonny Gray pitching on Opening Day, the rest of the rotation would include Rich Hill, Jesse Hahn, Kendall Graveman, and Chris Bassitt. Without that many other starting pitchers on the roster to choose from, many were expecting these starters to take the mound every fifth day.

However, as John Hickey from the Bay Area News Group reported, Felix Doubront seems to be making a good case when it comes to earning a spot in the starting rotation. Doubront was expected to the long man in the bullpen for the Oakland Athletics as well as a backup starter should any of the other five go down with an injury. Besides Doubront, the A’s do not really have anyone one else they can turn to in order to fill a spot in the rotation besides rookie Sean Manaea, who will start the season in Triple-A.

I, myself, was wary of the idea of have Doubront begin the season as part of the starting five. Doubront came to the Oakland Athletics at the trade deadline in 2015 and was not great as a starter. Despite the need for he since much of the rotation on the disabled list, he racked up a 5.81 ERA while with Oakland and allowed 34 earned runs in just 55.1 innings pitched. Additionally, he did perform better out of the bullpen.

However, Doubront has seemed to turn over a new leaf this offseason. Doubront worked hard during the winter, even taking some of the ever-popular CrossFit classes. He also continued to develop his changeup – a pitch he only used 13.1% of the time in 2015.

His hard work has been reflected in his outings during spring training this year. For March, he currently has a 3.00 ERA – the second lowest on the team among starters this spring – with 11 strikeouts over 12 innings pitched. He also has a 1.250 WHIP, 1-0 record, and even a save. If he can mirror this success during the regular season, Doubront could be a solid choice for the rotation – especially if Hill continues to struggle with his command.

Despite performing well during spring camp, the decision to stick Doubront in the rotation could be because of an ulterior motive as John Hickey stated in his article. Currently, rookie reliever Ryan Dull seems like the odd man out when it comes to earning a spot in the bullpen for Opening Day even though he has yet to allow a run in the 7.1 relief innings he has pitched this March. By putting Doubront in the rotation, it would free up a spot in the pen for Dull.

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Personally, I think Dull should be in the bullpen on Opening Day no matter what. He has proven that he deserved the spot. However, some tough decisions would need to be made in order for Dull to start the season as a major league reliever.

It will be interesting to see what the Oakland Athletics decide to do regarding the rotation and the bullpen. Whatever decisions are made regarding who will play on Opening Day, it is clear that the 25-man roster will be very fluid this year since the A’s have a lot of qualified players both in the majors and minors. Hopefully everyone will get the chance to demonstrate their talents at some point this upcoming season – including Felix Doubront.