Mar. 8, 2012; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Oakland Athletics pitcher Jarrod Parker (74) during the first inning during a spring training game against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Camelback Ranch. Mandatory Credit: Jennifer Hilderbrand-US PRESSWIRE

Every Thursday, Swingin’ A’s will unveil a top Oakland A’s prospect. Starting from number 10 and finishing with number 1, be sure to stop by every Thursday to see who makes the list of the Top 10 Oakland A’s prospects. We continue our countdown with No.2 on our list, pitcher Jarrod Parker. Parker was acquired this offseason in the trade that sent pitchers Trevor Cahill and Craig Breslow to the Arizona Diamondbacks.

While the A’s have their apparent struggles on offense, the team does know how to evaluate their own pitching talent. The A’s have turned their focus to acquiring offensive players in recent draft years, but the team always remains focused when it comes to pitching. The A’s, in my mind, have the uncanny ability to find pitching year in and year out.

Last year it was Brandon McCarthy and Guillermo Moscoso that helped lead Oakland pitchers to a nifty 3.71 ERA (3rd in AL). This year, though, will definitely put my assumption that Billy Beane & Co. really know their pitching to the test.

The A’s dismantled most of their starting rotation this offseason. Trevor Cahill and Gio Gonzalez are both out of Oakland, meaning the A’s have find replacements for those guys. Last year, Cahill and Gonzalez won a combined 28 games. The dangerous duo won 33 games the year before that in 2010.

Oakland did acquire plenty of young talent in both the Cahill and Gonzalez deals, though. The A’s fared much better in the Gonzalez deal, but the A’s didn’t do too bad in the Cahill deal, either. The prized-gem of the Cahill deal is top pitching prospect, Jarrod Parker.

Parker, 23, is currently competing for one of the vacant spots in Oakland’s starting rotation. He has his share of competition, with guys like Tom Milone, Brad Peacock, Tyson Ross, and Graham Godfrey all vying for playing time this year. Parker comes into spring training, though, with the label “top-prospect,” and should have a legitimate shot at getting a role in Oakland’s starting rotation.

He did have Tommy John Surgery, but his performance last year in Double-A put some the concerns with his health to rest. In 26 starts last year with Double-A Mobile, Parker went 11-8 with a 3.79 ERA. He put in 130.2 innings of work last year in Double-A and also recorded 7.7 SO/9 and 3.8 BB/9 rates. The drop in strikeouts post Tommy John Surgery may have some people worried about Parker’s status as a projected No.1 or No.2 starter, but rest assured, the guy is fine.

His fastball can come in 93-94mph and as Eno Sarris of FanGraphs says, “scouts love his 93+mph fastball and slider, changeup combo.” In fact, Sarris also goes on to project Parker as Oakland’s best pitcher this year. He’ll beat out McCarthy and old-timer Bartolo Colon as the best Athletics pitcher in 2012.

Still, TJ surgery is likely to be on most people’s minds when it comes to Parker. His health will be under close watch again this year as he tries to earn a spot in Oakland’s depleted starting rotation. If the A’s handle his development correctly, Parker should top out as a No. 2 starter. He’s got a strong fastball and has the raw “stuff” to make a lasting impact on the Athletics organization.

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Jul. 8, 2008; Oakland, CA, USA; Oakland Athletics general manager Billy Beane before the game against the Seattle Mariners at McAfee Coliseum in Oakland, CA. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-US PRESSWIRE

The A’s will certainly not enter spring as contenders for the American League West crown, but rather as a young team looking to surprise a few people. Oakland’s front office, beginning with Lew Wolff and the ownership partners, has signaled to the team’s shrinking fan base that the team has no intentions capturing the division’s top spot. Still, the team, as I’ve already suggested, is aiming to remain at least somewhat competitive and watchable.

The team dismantled their starting rotation this offseason, beginning with the trade that sent Trevor Cahill and Craig Breslow to the Arizona Diamondbacks in exchange for a slew of prospects. Billy Beane and the rest of his brain-trust followed up the Cahill deal by sending their 2011 All-Star, Gio Gonzalez, to the Washington Nationals for even more prospects.

The two trades serve as a painful reminder that the Athletics are far from being a playoff ready franchise. It also reminds the fans of Oakland that the team has no future in Oakland. These deals, along with the decision to trade young closer Andrew Bailey to the Boston Red Sox, while discouraging to the average fan at first glance, may prove to be extremely rewarding in a few years from now.

These deals are also figured to help ensure the A’s watchability this year, too. The A’s made out pretty well in a few of the deals mentioned above and the prospects acquired in the Cahill, Gonzalez, and Bailey trades have helped replenish what was considered a very thin and dried-up Oakland farm-system.

Oakland also dealt Guillermo Moscoso and Josh Outman to the Colorado Rockies in an attempt to upgrade their feeble offensive attack. The A’s acquired outfielder Seth Smith in the deal, who will get his shot at everyday playing time in Oakland’s crowded, yet wide open outfield this year.

The A’s also acquired veteran pitcher and former Cy Young Award winner Bartolo Colon this offseason. Colon, who is coming off a 8-10 season with the New York Yankees, will likely serve as a solid veteran presence in Oakland’s young rotation this year.

Oakland also made a recent splash with the signing of Cuban star outfielder, Yoenis Cespedes. The A’s signed the power-hitting outfielder to a four-year, $36 million deal. The deal took many people by surprise, but the A’s fans that are still looking forward to the 2012 season have even more incentive to make it out to the Coliseum this year. (more…)

Top Prospect: Is Jarrod Parker an ace in the making for Oakland? (Photo Credit: MLB.com)

Over the next couple of days Swingin’ A’s will take a closer look at some of the prospects the Athletics scored in the Trevor Cahill, Gio Gonzalez, and Andrew Bailey trades. Next we look at Jarrod Parker, the center-piece of the Trevor Cahill deal. 

The A’s are going younger. That much we know. This season, Oakland’s starting rotation should, in my mind anyway, feature a few young faces. Among those fresh faces is top pitching prospect Jarrod Parker, who was acquired in the Trevor Cahill trade.

Parker, 23, is a pitcher with a ton of potential to become a prominent figure within the Athletics’ organization. Oakland’s GM Billy Beane has spent a majority of the offseason replenishing a farm-system that was considered to be mediocre.

In the Cahill and Gio Gonzalez trades, Oakland has laid out the foundation for a solid starting rotation for the future. Along with Parker, who should be a No.2 starter if everything pans out with his development, the A’s also have Sonny Gray, Brad Peacock, and the promising A.J. Cole to help man their rotation for the future.

For the sake of this post, though, we’ll focus just on Parker. (more…)