We haven’t quite reached the “hot” portion of the MLB offseason hot stove, but it appears the A’s are making an effort to re-sign infielder Tommy La Stella.
The San Francisco Chronicle's Susan Slusser reported Monday that the team has reached out to representatives for La Stella.
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The cash-strapped A’s will be handcuffed by the massive loss of revenue this offseason, so fans shouldn’t hold their breath that the versatile La Stella will be back in the Green and Gold in 2021. The 31-year-old is sure to command a solid payday as a free agent who has experience in both leagues.
La Stella led all of baseball with a 5.3 percent strikeout rate last season, far ahead of the next closest competitor, New York Yankees’ DJ LeMahieu (9.7). La Stella showed major power potential during an All-Star campaign for the Angels in 2019, recording 16 dingers, 44 RBIs and a .295/.346/.486 slash line in 80 games in a season that was derailed by a broken leg.
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Defensively, La Stella is best at second base but can also handle the hot corner and the first base, making him a favorite for A’s manager Bob Melvin.
It’s fair to assume that fellow free agent Liam Hendriks is long gone to a higher-paying suitor. The same likely goes with Marcus Semien, but at least we know the team is making attempts to keep La Stella around.
For now, expect the A’s to go into the 2021 season using a combination of Chad Pinder, Tony Kemp and Vimael Machin at second base.