May 4, 2012; St. Petersburg, FL, USA; Oakland Athletics catcher Kurt Suzuki (8) at bat against the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-US PRESSWIRE

The time has come. The A’s and Kurt Suzuki need to finally part ways with each other. Oakland’s catcher hasn’t produced much this year and he’s had plenty of time to step up and produce offensively.

This season, Suzuki, 28, is hitting just .216/.256/.268 with no home runs and 16 RBIs in 61 games. Even more unimpressive is Suzuki’s BB%, which has dropped from 7.4% last year to 4.0% this year. He’s also striking out at a higher rate, as suggested by his 19.3% K% rate, which is an increased rate over his 12.4% last year.

The A’s haven’t really gotten much out of Suzuki this year and with prospect Derek Norris making his way up to the big leagues, Suzuki’s time in Oakland seems to be nearing its end. Much like Jason Kendall before him, Suzuki may well be the odd man out.

Since performing so well in 2009, when he drove in a team-high 88 runs and hit 15 HRs, Suzuki has fallen off the rails a bit. He followed up his big ’09 season with a decent 2010 outing with 13 HR and 77 RBI, but it was still drenched in disappointment. He followed that season with another down year last season, hitting just .237/.301/.385 with 14 HR and 54 RBI.

He hasn’t shown any signs of improvement this year, either. The A’s backstop has produced an ISO of .053 (down from last year’s .148) and has seen a huge drop off in the power department. For the offensively challenged Athletics, a powerless Suzuki is a Suzuki worth trading. The A’s have Derek Norris, who figures to help give Suzuki a break behind the plate from time to time, as a potential successor to Suzuki.

In 55 games with Triple-A Sacramento this year, Norris hit .273/.331/.474 with 8 HR and 36 RBI. He was regarded as a top-catching prospect in the Washington Nationals’ farm-system and has shown some promise since coming over to Oakland in the Gio Gonzalez trade. He’ll get plenty of opportunities, especially if Suzuki continues to struggle, to prove himself to Oakland’s top brass.

Suzuki, meanwhile, could be a potential trade chip for Billy Beane and Co. According to several rumors, including this one, the A’s could explore the possibility of trading Suzuki. According to Peter Gammons of MLB Network, Suzuki could make sense for a team like the Marlins or even the Rays.

While the possibility of a Suzuki trade seems ever more likely, it is sad to see how far Suzuki has fallen off the rails. His defense behind the plate goes unquestioned and his handling of the pitching staff is excellent, but his contributions on offense have become increasingly frustrating. That’s why it’s time to say goodbye.

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Not Even House Can Solve Oakland's Injury Problems. The A's announced that Brandon McCarthy would join the growing list of A's players on the DL. (Photo Credit: FOX/David Shore)

Well, the A’s may be out of luck. The team has been bit by the infamous injury bug that resides in the depths of the cavernous O.co Coliseum all season long and there’s no clear solution to Oakland’s injury woes in sight.

The A’s are now without starting pitcher Brandon McCarthy, who has been off to a strong start this year, due to a shoulder strain. The right-hander has been placed on the 15-day DL with a right shoulder strain and for a young team like Oakland, losing a veteran in McCarthy does not bode well for the rest of the rotation.

McCarthy had been on quite a tear this month, going 2-0 with a 2.37 ERA in three May starts. Losing McCarthy only adds yet another name on a growing list of Oakland players limping through the clubhouse; Coco Crisp, Yoenis Cespedes, and Brandon Inge are some of the other notable names currently riding the DL express train.

It is too bad that Dr. Gregory House does not exist, because the A’s could really use some of his medical remedies. Since we’re living in reality and not on the set of House, it is best to keep things in perspective. The A’s have had problems with keeping their players healthy and this season is no different. Losing players is never an easy thing to get over, but for the A’s, a team with relatively no well-known players, it is especially more painful to endure.

The team’s rotation came into the season without Dallas Braden and Brett Anderson, but with plenty of young talent, the A’s figured they could get by without Anderson or Braden. Losing McCarthy, though, does put quite the dent in Oakland’s starting rotation.

The A’s rotation, without McCarthy, includes Bartolo Colon, Tom Milone, Jarrod Parker, and Tyson Ross. Colon has gone 4-4 with a 4.09 ERA in 10 starts with Oakland this season. Milone, a nice addition this past offseason, has been solid as well, going 5-3 with a 4.09 ERA in 8 starts. Parker, a top pitching prospect, has gone 1-2 with a 3.90 ERA in five starts. Finally, there’s Ross. Ross has gone 2-4 with a 5.73 ERA in 7 starts.

The A’s have plenty of other pitchers waiting down in the minor leagues, but the guy the team called up to take McCarthy’s spot on the rotation is right-handed reliever Jim Miller. Miller last pitched for the team’s Triple-A affiliate, the Sacramento River Cats. He was with the team for a brief stint in April before getting optioned back to Sacramento earlier this month.

If the team has any shot at remaining somewhat relevant in the AL West this year, they’ll need to find a way to stay healthy. Paging imaginary Doctor now.

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April 28, 2012; Baltimore, MD, USA; Baltimore Orioles third baseman Wilson Betemit (24) dives back to second base safely as Oakland Athletics shortstop Cliff Pennington (2) cannot field the bad throw by catcher Kurt Suzuki (not shown) in the second inning at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Mandatory Credit: Joy R. Absalon-US PRESSWIRE

The A’s have been pretty good this year in the pitching department, but you wouldn’t know that by looking at the team’s box-score against the Orioles on Saturday. Oakland’s right-hander Tyson Ross allowed 9 runs and a career-high 11 hits on Saturday in Oakland’s 10-1 loss. The A’s starting pitching had been rock-solid this year, but Ross was pretty hittable and the team’s defense didn’t shine very bright either.

Kurt Suzuki made a throwing error in a five-run second-inning by the Orioles and Yoenis Cespedes made a mistake in the outfield as well. Overall, it was a strong contrast to the team’s win over Baltimore on Friday and was one more example of how painfully inconsistent this club has been over the years.

The A’s had come into Saturday’s contest with a three game winning streak, but that streak was put to a sudden halt due to a mixture of sloppy defense and subpar pitching. Oakland’s offense didn’t fare much better, though, with Jonny Gomes providing the team’s lone run. Gomes went deep for the fourth time this season and has been a pleasant source of power this year.

Gomes hasn’t recorded many hits this season, but has posted a .265 ISO. It’s been a rather lackluster month of offense for most of Oakland’s hitters not named Yoenis Cespedes, but Gomes has certainly had a nice month in the power department.

The A’s have a shot at a winning record this month, but the team’s offense and defense will need to strike some sort of balance. Inconsistency has been a major theme in Oakland for the past few years, but hopefully Bob Melvin and Co. can turn things around tomorrow in Baltimore.

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