The Athletics optioned highly touted shortstop prospect Franklin Barreto to Triple-A on Friday, though it seems he could enter the picture in Oakland sometime this year. “I think we’d all like to see him up here at some point and that’s our anticipation,” executive vice president of baseball operations Billy Beane said of Barreto, who slashed .481/.500/.667 in 27 spring at-bats (Twitter link via Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle). Because Marcus Semien occupies short for the A’s, Barreto’s major league debut is likely to come at second base, per Beane, who noted Friday that the keystone is “probably his quickest path to the big leagues” (via Joe Stiglich of CSN Bay Area). The 21-year-old Barreto, whom Oakland acquired from Toronto in 2014 in the A’s ill-fated Josh Donaldson trade, tops out as Baseball America’s 40th-ranked prospect.
More from the American League:
- Beane also revealed Friday that the Athletics aren’t going to react to right-hander Sonny Gray’s lat strain by attempting to acquire pitching. Rather, Beane’s confident in the depth the A’s have on hand. “I don’t think it’s necessarily a fertile market to be diving into right now anyway this time of year,” he said. “I think we prefer to stay in-house and give maybe somebody an opportunity.” Kendall Graveman, Sean Manaea and Jharel Cotton are set to comprise the A’s top three starters in a temporarily Gray-less rotation, leaving the final spots to two of Jesse Hahn, Andrew Triggs or Raul Alcantara, writes Stiglich. One hurler who won’t factor into the rotation is righty Frankie Montas, who will work as a reliever this year, according to Beane. However, the A’s still see him as a long-term starter (Twitter link via Slusser).
- Although Red Sox first baseman/designated hitter Hanley Ramirez hasn’t been able to play the field this spring because of a shoulder issue, manager John Farrell doesn’t regard it as a serious injury, relays Rob Bradford of WEEI. “We feel like there’s been a little bit of a breakthrough here,” Farrell said Saturday. “We’re anticipating that throwing to continue to progress and ramp up. The goal, obviously, is still to get him games at first base while in camp, and we’re moving towards that.” Ramirez hasn’t been able to throw, but Farrell pointed out that “he still continues to drill work and ground balls at first base.”
- The Rangers won’t need a fifth starter until April 15, meaning they could opt for a four-man rotation until Andrew Cashner returns, per skipper Jeff Banister (via Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News). Cashner has made encouraging progress since he suffered a setback in his recovery from biceps tendinitis on March 9.
- One of Cashner’s teammates and fellow starters, Chi Chi Gonzalez, was diagnosed with a partial UCL tear on Friday. That left Gonzalez “stunned,” writes Grant, who adds that the 25-year-old is likely to get a second opinion. “I had some soreness, but thought it was the usual spring training stuff,” Gonzalez told Grant. “I thought it was something minor. And it’s something people often can’t even throw with and here I was pitching. It’s disappointing.”
The Athletics pitching is one of the worst in the MLB! But I don’t can’t because the Red Sox will win it all!⚾️⚾️
Sorry, not can’t! I meant to say care
F’d that up
The Red Sox will be the wieners and I mean to say wieners …. they have great hotdogs at Fenway
Without Papi there’s no glue in the lineup and no cop putting malcontents like Hanley in line. He will opt into DH…that’s why he is playing the shoulder injury.
Just wait Sox fans. Disappointment is staring you in the face.
Brag fail
Why not have Semien shift to second base once Barreto comes up? It’s not like Semien is Andrelton Simmons defensively, he has some experience at second base and Barreto should be the long-term shortstop anyway.
Probably to keep him arb numbers down knowing them
His*
Typical redsox fan not knowing anything outside Boston. First the A’s pitching is closer to being in top 6 of the AL pitching. Deep bullpen and some future all star starters. Red sox will not win it because once again they are over hyped. A few injuries and they are out of the playoffs.
Doubtful. The A’s stink pretty much every year. Being a contender once or twice a decade isn’t that impressive, really.
They’re always the same: “impressive pitching” that they acquired by trading their other” older more soon-to-be more expensive impressive pitching… and the beat goes on in Beane-town.
They won’t compete and they really can’t with the formula they use. It’s never been successful and it never will be.
They have made the playoffs 8 times in the last 17 seasons, and won 91 and 88 games in 2 years they didnt make it.. Stop talking.
Or 3 in the last 11… that’s like me saying Boston stinks because they’ve only won 3 World Series since 1920. But that’s not the case since it’s 3 in the last 13 years.
In the last 13 yrs the Red Sox and Giants have each won 3 WS., the Cards 2 and the White Sox , Phils, Yanks, Royals & Cubs one each. The Tigers, Rangers & Cards have each lost 2 WS while the Phils, Royals, Indians, Rays, Mets, Hou, and even the Rockies lost 1 each.
Wow Conner. And how many last place finishes in past 13 years? The team is better because of the previous management. Trader Dave will get rid of all the young talent for overpriced players in their downside.
Take a look at his first free agent signing and you will be humbled in the waste of resources on Price which will go down as the worst free agent signing in MLB history
Stink every year? I am guessing you only started following baseball the last 3 years. In the last 16 years they have won their division 6 times and the WC once. Not bad .almost 500 record since the 2000 making the playoffs. Boston had to copy the A’s formula to win a championship.
Please
rangers win the west….easily
I think Rangers finish 4th. No pitching. Mariners, Astros, Angels, Rangers, A’s.
Rangers finish 3rd because of injuries. Astros and Mariners both in the playoffs. A’s beat out Angels for 4th place.
Or 3 in last 11, which isn’t far off what he said.
27 championships and 40 pennants…that’s all I’m saying
Teams go through waves. Athletics have had one of the most successful franchises in the game. Ring wise? Yes, it’s been a long time for the A’s. Sure hasn’t been 86 years or whatever it was for Boston though!
Teams can start a run at any time. Giants had never won in SF and in 5 years all of a sudden they have 3. Teams can also start a rut at any time as well, so on that note, enjoy all the success in the sans Papi era!
They are not going to keep that record in 1 run games, and Astros will improve. If anyone wins the division easy, it will be all things clicking for the Astros. I’m saying this as an A’s fan. I see Rangers and Mariners battling for 2nd.
I’m figuring that David Price will have an off year with injury problems and Porcello will not repeat what he did last year. Adding Sale was a big move but they will miss Big Papi’s clutch hits. Will they be good, of course win it all NOPE.
I just don’t get what was so ill-fated about the Donaldson trade for the A’s. I get that Donaldson is great, but unless you’re going to argue that he would have been worth about 20 wins each of the past two seasons for the A’s, they still wouldn’t have been a playoff team with him.
In exchange for him, they got one of the top middle infield prospects in baseball (Barreto), a decent MLB starting pitcher (Graveman), one year of Brett Lawrie, and three flyer pitchers (Wndelken and Erwin, who they got for Lawrie, and Nolin). At least as of now, that trade looks like a likely net win for the A’s. (It was also clearly a net win for the Blue Jays.)