MVN - Most Valuable Network

Spring Training Cuts

The Oakland A’s have begun cutting players from Spring Training and optioning them to their minor league affiliates. A quick run down of the players that have been optioned to Minor League clubs or re-assigned to Minor League Camp:

3/12 - Shane Komine (RHP) - Destination: AAA Sacramento - 2006 quick stats: AAA level - 4.05 ERA / 1.31 WHIP / 7.46 K/9

3/12 - Javier Herrera (OF) - Destination: AAA Sacramento - 2006 quick stats: low-A level - 0.275 BA / 0.374 OBP / 0.444 SLG

3/12 - Derek Thompson (LHP) - Destination: Minor League Camp - 2005 quick stats (injured 2006): AAA level - 3.43 ERA / 1.52 WHIP / 7.29 K/9

3 /12 - John Baker (C) - Destination: Minor League Camp - 2006 quick stats: AAA level - 0.273 BA / 0.361 OBP / 0.386 SLG

3/11 - Dan Meyer (LHP) - Destination: AAA Sacramento - 2006 quick stats: AAA level - 5.07 ERA / 1.67 WHIP / 5.26 K/9

3/11 - Santiago Casilla (RHP) - Destination: AAA Sacramento - 2006 quick stats: AAA level - 3.27 ERA / 1.06 WHIP / 8.73 K/9

3/11 - David Shafer (RHP) - Destination: AAA Sacramento - 2006 quick stats: AA level - 2.36 ERA / 1.07 WHIP / 9.42 K/9

3/11 - Kaz Tadano (RHP) - Destination: Minor League Camp - 2006 quick stats: AAA level - 5.08 ERA / 1.54 WHIP / 9.53 K/9

3/11 - Connor Robertson (RHP) - Destination: Minor League Camp - 2006 quick stats: AA level - 2.80 ERA / 1.14 WHIP / 10.43 K/9

3/11 - Dallas Braden (LHP) - Destination: Minor League Camp - 2006 quick stats: all over the place from rookie level AZ A’s to AA Midland

3/11 - Vince Faison (OF) - Destination: Minor League Camp - 2006 quick stats: AA level - 0.260 BA / 0.342 OBP / 0.456 SLG

My 2 cents: That’s a big jump for OF prospect Javier Herrera, from low-A Kane County to AAA Sacramento. Touted as one of the A’s top OF prospects since he joined the A’s, I think it’s a combination of high expectations and the fact that the A’s are going to need all the OF talent they can get after this season. Bradley is in his walk year and his performance will most likely price him out of the A’s budget. Kotsay has a bad back, regardless of how successful the surgery is, and 2008 will be his last year with the A’s. Swisher is fine in either RF or LF, but I have a feeling he’ll be spending more time at 1B in seasons to come. Kielty will most likely be gone in 2008 as well, as there is only so much the A’s should be paying for a part-time lefty masher. And Stewart is most likely hoping he can win comeback player of the year which means he’ll go for the heaviest bidder in the offseason. Conclusion: the A’s are going to need all the OF help they can get in the near future.

Derek Thompson might turn out to be one of those sleeper picks Beane has become famous for, like Marco Scutaro and Chad Gaudin. He had a pretty good 2005, despite an awful WHIP of 1.52, and pitched 18 innings for the Dodgers with a 3.50 ERA (but still had an ugly WHIP of 1.44). He sat out 2006 recovering from Tommy John surgery and the A’s picked him up on a minor league contract, so it’s another pretty low risk move for the A’s that could have some potential.

As more players get cut we’ll keep you updated.

This entry was posted on Monday, March 12th, 2007 at 10:10 pm and is filed under Spring Training. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.