April 16, 2013; Oakland, CA, USA; Oakland Athletics first baseman Shane Peterson (left) forces out Houston Astros center fielder Justin Maxwell (44)during the seventh inning at O.co Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

Right now the A’s sit at 17-14, and haven’t found a consistent winning formula since the 9 game winning streak that put them ahead of the curve in the first place.  Losing games like they have recently should begin to open some eyes as to what imperfections exist within the 25 man roster.  This is a team that is good enough to contend, good enough to perhaps win the AL West once again, but they cannot sit back and simply expect it to happen for them.  The burden is on Billy Beane to make moves and continue to fine tune the roster in order to make that happen.

As of this moment, there are a few candidates playing for the River Cats in Sacramento who would be able to fill the remaining needs on this roster.  I detailed yesterday the weakness that still exists in the middle infield, specifically with Eric Sogard, and the possible candidates who could help boost the team’s offense.  In that case, Jemile Weeks, Grant Green, and the rehabbing Hiroyuki Nakajima were presented as viable upgrades.

Meanwhile, as the River Cats lead the PCL Southern Division with a 17-13, there are a few other members of the Triple A squad who could theoretically help the Athletics right now.  The first one on the list would be Shane Peterson.  Peterson has posted a very good .304/.450/.457 line through 118 plate appearances, briefly made his MLB debut when Brandon Moss went on paternity leave, and is capable of playing all 3 outfield positions as well as first base.  As you may or may not have noticed, the A’s outfielders have had quite the knack for finding the disabled list thus far, so Peterson’s talent and versatility would be an asset to the team.

An old friend by the name of Daric Barton is quietly having an excellent season down in Sacramento, posting a .300/.446/.500 line in 118 plate appearances.  The complication with Barton of course is the fact that he was designated for assignment prior to the beginning of the regular season, so someone else would need to be removed from the 40 man roster to make room for him as well as from the active roster.  Barton is certainly a polarizing figure, but his skills could prove valuable in Oakland if he were able to translate them to the major leagues.

Michael Taylor is now with the Athletics, after Chris Young was placed on the DL, and he’s been great in Triple A so far this year.  Taylor was once thought to be a possible cornerstone for the Athletics future, and while that may have passed, there’s still hope he can contribute at the major league level.  This may be his best chance yet.  With Coco Crisp and Young on the shelf they need to use this opportunity to see if Taylor has figured out how to use the tools he has in the Show.

There have been rumblings over the last couple weeks for the Athletics to eschew finances and start the arbitration clock of Michael Choice.  By the numbers, it might seem that doing such a thing wouldn’t be the craziest idea ever.  Choice is hitting .302/.420/.528 with 6 home runs and a team leading 26 RBI.  Choice is very much built in the Yoenis Cespedes mold, and should become an impact player at the major league level at some point.  That time may be soon, but I don’t think it’s quite yet.

The A’s could also use a pitcher who can help bridge the gap between a struggling starting pitcher and the bullpen, or eat up a few innings in extra frames so the previously scratched starter isn’t forced into duty.  This would have been Travis Blackley, but the A’s jettisoned him from the organization, a move I imagine many regret making now.  This is a perfect role for Pedro Figueroa, who is able to pitch multiple innings, and could be stretched out into a full time starter if needed.  He may be a little wild at times, but he can get hitters out at baseball’s highest level.  He hasn’t dazzled though in Triple A, with a 6.94 ERA in 11.2 innings of work, and he has walked 9 batters in that span.  So he will need to right the ship before he can be considered for a call up.

Right now, there really isn’t another strong long man candidate, maybe Billy Beane can somehow convince the Astros to give Blackley back?

There are other honorable mentions for the most productive River Cats, Stephen Vogt sits atop that list, the young catcher is hitting an impressive .394/.448/.691 and many thought he should have gotten the call up over Luke Montz.  If he keeps hitting like that, he may force his way onto the roster somehow.  Sonny Gray gets an honorable mention as well, he’s posted a 2.61 ERA in 31 innings with 25 K’s to 12 walks.  He should be in a starting rotation though, no long relief duty for this young hurler.  Hideki Okajima has also been solid as well, pitching to a 2.40 ERA in 15 innings of work, his presence in the Athletics bullpen seems more likely at some point in the near future.

There are many ways to improve this Athletics team, but Billy Beane and co. can take comfort in knowing the solutions to their problems may already be in their possession.  It’s up to them to realize just who will best serve their needs.  The perfect solution has to be in there somewhere, right?

The two of them are coming from different directions as they embark on the 2013 season.  Russell is fresh out of high school, at just 19 years old, he’s the youngest player in any major league camp.  Choice is coming off an injury plagued season that saw his top prospect status plummet, and he’s out to prove once again he is a future star.  What the two have in common though is that they’ve both impressed all observers.

Mar 5, 2013; Surprise, AZ, USA; Oakland Athletics center fielder Michael Choice (32) at bat during the fourth inning against the Kansas City Royals at Surprise Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports

The impression Michael Choice has made can be clearly seen by looking at his Spring Training stat sheet.  It’s been well documented how insignificant I generally think stats during the spring are, but in the case of a young player like Choice, they are meaningful.  He’s appeared in 12 games, and started 5 thus far, most of his playing time has been in center field.  He’s posted a .414/.419/.655 slash line over 31 plate appearances.  He has homered twice, but technically did so just the one time since his second of the spring was washed away on Friday.  He’s generating the same type of power that he did in 2011 with the Stockton Ports, and Athletics fans should be excited by what they’ve seen from Michael Choice this spring as he heads to Sacramento to play for the Rivercats once the minor league season gets underway.

February 18, 2013; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Oakland Athletics infielder Addison Russell (7) poses for a picture during photo day at Phoenix Municipal Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

For Addison Russell, everything he is experiencing is new.  Having just been drafted last June out of high school, he’s extremely young and extremely raw, but he’s also extremely talented.  His playing time has been much less significant than Choice’s, with just 17 plate appearances over 6 games.  His slash line doesn’t stand out necessarily at .250/.294/.313.  But he’s shown a level of maturity beyond his years, and has already gained valuable experience.  Saturday afternoon he learned a lesson the hard way when he started for first base on a presumed ball four, only to be called back when the umpire called strike two.  On the A’s radio broadcast Ray Fosse remarked that anything close to the plate would almost certainly be called a strike on the youngster.  That was exactly what happened, and Russell was rung up.  It was a lesson learned that he’ll surely not forget.

The optimism that surrounds the Athletics because of their great success in 2012 and the potential for even greater success in 2013 extends throughout the organization.  While the cupboard might be somewhat empty at the moment due to the trades of the offseason and the promotion to Oakland of many young talented players, the presence of Addison Russell and Michael Choice in the system is reason for continued optimism.  Choice could potentially make an appearance in Oakland sometime this year if everything goes well in Sacramento and all the stars align, and Russell could find himself in Oakland by late 2014 or 2015 if his development continues at this rate.  The two of them present all the more reason for A’s fans to feel good about the direction of the organization.

The A’s have played 4 whole games of the 35 game schedule leading up to Opening Night versus the Seattle Mariners.  Yet there are some crazy overreactions that some might be experiencing right now based on those 4 games.  I’ll admit, I may actually be guilty of one of those overreactions.  So let’s take a look at what kind of things people might be saying right now.

“Hiro Nakajima can’t hit major league pitching, and the A’s should make Jed Lowrie the everyday shortstop from now on.”

February 18, 2013; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Oakland Athletics shortstop Hiroyuki Nakajima (3) poses for a picture during photo day at Phoenix Municipal Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

So the guy went 0-6 with 5 strikeouts before getting his first hit Tuesday afternoon.  Not the most auspicious debut in America.  Surely there’s an adjustment to the competition here in the United States, and there are a lot of eyes on him across the Pacific.  Even in Spring Training Nakajima has to be feeling some level of pressure from all that.  He’ll be fine, he’ll hit, trust me on this one.

“Jemile Weeks will be the starting second baseman on Opening Night.”

With a double and a nifty defensive play in the first game of the Spring, Jemile Weeks certainly seemed to be showing a little bit of the spark that he brought to the team in 2011.  While it certainly seems plausible he could push his way into the regular lineup once again, the acquisition of Jed Lowrie and the return of Scott Sizemore seems to indicate the A’s brass has little faith in his ability to do such a thing.  Stranger things have happened though.

“Michael Choice and Addison Russell should be on the 25 man roster at the beginning of the regular season.”

I don’t have the vocabulary to appropriately illustrate how insane this idea is.  Sure the two of them have gotten off to hot starts in the A’s first 4 games, and are undoubtedly making an impression, but they are not ready to be on a major league roster.  Choice will, and should begin the season at Triple A Sacramento, and Russell is slated to head to Double A Midland; that’s where they both belong.

“The A’s bullpen will be a weakness in 2013.”

Many of the primary relievers for the Athletics haven’t even pitched in their first games yet, and those that have are middle relievers at best.  The guys who’ve been coughing up all these runs are way down on the depth chart or they simply are in big league camp to gain a little experience.  That said, even if it were Sean Doolittle and Ryan Cook getting shelled I wouldn’t panic…. because it’s Spring Training!

There’s a long way to go folks, so do your best to keep an even keel through all the highs and lows of the Cactus League.  Some guys perform well in exhibition games, some don’t because there simply isn’t the same motivation.  Whatever the performance, and whatever the reason for it, it’s best to just kick back and relax and be happy that baseball is back!