The Athletics announced several cuts to their Spring Training roster today, and outfielder JJ Bleday was one of the players optioned to Triple-A. Bleday had been competing with Cristian Pache and Esteury Ruiz for the center field job, and manager Mark Kotsay told reporters (including The San Francisco Chronicle’s Matt Kawahara) that “it’s not an easy decision” in picking between the trio since the A’s eventually want to see what all of them can do at the big league level. All of Pache, Ruiz, and Bleday will “impact this club at some point” in 2023, Kotsay said, but in determining the Opening Day roster “there’s going to be factors that go into it…not just performance but roster construction, depth at the position.”
Kotsay also noted that Pache might have an advantage since he is out of minor league options, whereas Ruiz and Bleday both have options remaining. Bleday and Ruiz each joined the A’s this offseason, as Bleday was acquired from the Marlins for A.J. Puk last month, and Ruiz came to Oakland as part of the big three-team, nine-player swap with the Brewers and Braves that saw Sean Murphy land in Atlanta. Pache, meanwhile, was part of last March’s blockbuster deal with Atlanta, as Pache was one of four players the A’s acquired in exchange for Matt Olson. Earlier this month, MLBTR’s Steve Adams wrote about the many outfielders vying for playing time for Oakland this season, beyond just the center field situation.
More from around the AL West…
- Andres Munoz underwent foot surgery last October, and the Mariners reliever told Ryan Divish of the Seattle Times that three screws were placed into his ankle as part of the bone-fusion procedure. The injury dated back to Munoz’s days as a high school track athlete, and a 2020 procedure to remove a piece of fractured bone from the ankle didn’t do the trick, as Munoz said that during the 2022 season, “on almost every pitch, I felt some kind of pain.” Under those circumstances, Munoz’s 2022 numbers are all the more remarkable, as the right-hander posted a 2.49 ERA and an elite 39.2% strikeout rate over 65 innings out of Seattle’s bullpen. The Mariners have been taking it slow with Munoz this spring, as he has started throwing live batting practice sessions and is slated to pitch in a Cactus League game during the coming week.
- In other Mariners news, manager Scott Servais told MLB.com and other media that outfielder Taylor Trammell is “probably three weeks away, something like that, from a bat in his hand. But he’s focused right now on gaining strength back in that wrist and the hand.” Trammell underwent hamate bone surgery in mid-February, and was initially projected for a recovery period of at least seven weeks. Servais’ update would seemingly end any chance of a return for Trammell at the low end of that projected timeline, though a 10-day injured list stint already seemed inevitable to give the outfielder more time to ramp up.
- Jacob deGrom and Nathan Eovaldi will both start minor league games on Monday, according to The Athletic’s Levi Weaver (Twitter link). DeGrom will pitch for the Rangers’ Double-A team, while Eovaldi takes the hill for the Triple-A club. Due to some tightness in his side early in camp, deGrom has yet to pitch in any games this spring, as Texas has been cautious in gradually managing his workload. Eovaldi pitched in one Cactus League game before also feeling some tightness in his side, so he was briefly shut down to recuperate.
- Former Astros prospect Jayson Schroeder announced his retirement from baseball via his Instagram page (hat tip to Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle). Schroeder was the Astros’ second-round pick in the 2018 draft, but he struggled during his brief pro career, posting a 6.95 ERA over 134 2/3 minor league innings. Houston released Schroeder in December.
Milwaukee Brewers outfielder who recently became a free agent Corey Ray also has retired.
Yea I saw that Ray has moved into coaching with the Cubs
How far are Pache and Trammell from being busts? I believe they are at this point but people still defend them. Pache atbats are the MLB equivalent of passing a kidney stone and trammell is in the same make or break year like kelenic.
As much as it sucks to see top prospects get wasted, I’m learning Texas isn’t that out of the norm in ruining them. They probably still lead MLB in top 100 prospect busts, but things may be changing. Who knows?
I actually think Trammell will have a nice year
Trammell looked like he had made legit strides at the plate last year before he got banged up, and he never quite got that early prowess back. He is far from a lost cause or a bust. Kids a great athlete and still only 25. Some guys take longer than others
@Admiral Patton – A trade to the Dodgers or the Rays is all that’s holding Taylor Trammell back from reaching his full potential. He could become the next Justin Tuner or Randy Arozarena. There’s something about these teams that can take former/older, well thought of offensive prospects who have failed to reach their potential to date and finally maximize their talent and output.
I’d love to see Trammell reach his potential in Seattle but with the exception of J-Rod, the Mariners don’t have the best track record of developing young players into offensive stars. I wouldn’t include Ichiro in this example as he was just lights out from the get go as a free agent. Pache May be a lost cause at the plate though.
With the new regime in Seattle and their recent success in 2022, perhaps they have turned the corner and have the right development staff in place to bring out the best in their prospects, but the Dodgers, Rays and even the Cardinals have a proven track record in doing so with offensive players, while Cleveland has the ‘secret sauce’ for pitching prospects.
I was going to say the same, but for the RS. Both those guys have that Margot vibe-decent players, but overlooked because they are more glove than bat. I think Trammell is a bit more advanced, but even Pache managed a 104/34 K/W in AA, with 11 HRs in 392 ABs, at age 20.
If he could manage to reduce his K/W to 2.5/1, with low double-digit HRs, his defense should add enough to make him an every day player.
Pasche is going to end of being one of those 4th or 5th OF on some playoff team. He will platoon against left handed pitching. Unless he learns to hit RHP he will never be a regular OF on any team.
He had 1 hit in his last 32 PAs.
He was still adjusting to pitchers’ adjustments. This is last year to really establish a role for himself, because he’ll be out of options next year.
He’s really likeable, so I hope he makes it. But the best thing for him might be regular playing time with a rebuilding club.
Both have already arrived. In fact, Trammell’s been there quite some time already.
Seems like most guys stop being prospects the moment they turn 26
Pache had trouble hitting minor league pitching, I wouldn’t say he’s a bust cause people wouldn’t be surprised if he didn’t work out.
Considering his prospect status, yeah, he’s a bust.
Start the sentence with “meanwhile,” don’t just throw it in the middle and interrupt the flow.
I, meanwhile, found the placement rather charming and altogether flow worthy.
Meanwhile, your placement of a word in the middle of a sentence to draw attention to yourself makes you look pathetic.
Whereas you actually are pathetic.
In his free time, meanwhile, Ben Cherington maintains a variety of grammar-enforcing burner accounts. The KD of Pittsburgh, some say.
“In his free time, meanwhile?”
Doesn’t even make sense. What is “meanwhile” modifying? Try learning basic syntax. Oh wait, you can’t. You’re a part of the female anatomy.
OH no, not you again.
I think guys like that BenBenBen are just crazy and there’s no way to get rid of them.
It could even be a junior high school kid.
It was a horde of commenters like that who ruined Shannon Drayer’s blog.
Ruined it for everyone.
Hang in there, Lee.
Crazy about making sure writers compose in proper English, yes.
Meanwhile, when offering pedantic stylistic advice, you might separate two independent clauses with a semi-colon or a period. Don’t just use a comma.
A comma works just fine there and probably works better since it’s a continuation of the previous thought.
The rest of us, meanwhile, have better things to do.
Meanwhile, you’re writing comments on the internet, rendering your statement a self-evident lie.
“Hehehe… If you have a life outside of the internet, then why did you use the internet to respond to me being an annoying tool? Meanwhile.” -BenBenBen (goober)
If only “annoying tools” and “goobers” care about proper English, what does that make dummies like you? I’m going with incel. No Soup For Yu! I think you mean “no women for me!”
Now could you, meanwhile, call me a racist next, please? Meanwhile, I really want to experience, meanwhile, interacting with the average, meanwhile, Twittard without having to open Twitter, meanwhile. Meanwhile.
Hard to parse through your post which ignores the basic tenets of English, but let’s see, you’re obliquely calling me a ret@rd now? Resorting to that kind of language proves that you’re a manchild, but I guess we already knew that because you’re an incel. With an IQ of 12. Here, take this L.
Meanwhile, a quick glance through the dictionary has your pic next to the word douchebag
I saw Christian Pache at the Arizona Fall League and thought he was the next Ronald Acuna, obviously I was wrong, just can’t hit
Some unfortunate numbers for the young (23 yo) Mr. Schroeder. Last year in A ball: 27.1 IP, 23 K, 7 HBP, 22 WP (!), 61 BB (!!). The previous year in A ball: 48.2 IP, 50 K, 10 HBP, 19 WP, 65 BB. Rather than retiring at such a young age, I wonder if the kid could somehow, someway latch onto an organization with just the right Pitch Whisperer? Or develop a knuckle ball? It just seems really sad for such a young guy to hang ’em up.
There a collection of depth pieces that could surprise this year. Wong’s brother is one of those. The fielding is good he’s yet another who hasn’t figure out the hitting yet. infield depth in Tacoma is less than secured it will be curious in seeing how this develops.
Calhoun is a tale of two stories seems to be getting his grove back on. The good, an not so good is that, there’s no room on the roster for him. Forget about the DH. so you say. Is there any room to reconsider? I have always like Calhoun.
What about White? somehow I think he will make an appearance his last at bat in a game with Colorado he swung at two pitches that were not nasty, but also off the plate in a strike out another words he looked lost, maybe not a good at bat?
I tend to be paranoid about my keepers but I’m concerned Acuna can’t hit either.
You heard it hear first, this Rangers offseason is going to set the franchise back four years.
Am I the only person who still sees “Trammell” in a headline, clicks, and scrolls to see something about Alan Trammell, only to see Taylor and go “oh yeah, I forgot about him”.
Trammell is a bust.
How about some new material? Already. Grammar lessons are not all that stimulating.