The regular season hasn't even begun and already the A's are running out of starting pitchers. Injuries to Jharel Cotton, Paul Blackburn, and top prospect A.J. Puk have left Oakland's rotation paper-thin.
While the recent additions of Trevor Cahill and Brett Anderson should provide some stability down the road, the A's will enter the season with a mostly unproven starting rotation of Kendall Graveman, Sean Manaea, Daniel Mengden, Andrew Triggs, and Daniel Gossett, a group that has combined for just 56 career wins. It's also a group that averaged barely over five innings per start last season, with only one complete game between them.
In other words, expect to see the bullpen ... a lot. Manager Bob Melvin plans to use an eight-man pen, rather than the customary seven, and he will have to rely on them heavily. How the bullpen responds to that challenge could make or break Oakland's season.
The good news for the A's is Melvin has several quality relievers to turn to, including some major additions in the last nine months. Let's start at the back end of the pen with closer Blake Treinen, who came over from Washington last season in the Sean Doolittle/Ryan Madson trade. Treinen showcased electric stuff in 35 games with Oakland, posting a stellar 2.13 ERA, while allowing opponents to bat just .225. For the first time in a while, A's fans can feel confident entering the ninth inning with a lead.
Another key acquisition late last season was Chris Hatcher from the Dodgers. The veteran right-hander held opponents to a .236 batting average in 23 games with the A's, with a 3.52 ERA. Hatcher has been even better this spring, allowing just one run and three hits in seven innings.
Oakland added three more relievers in the offseason: right-handers Emilio Pagán and Yusmeiro Petit, and lefty Ryan Buchter. Pagán recorded 56 strikeouts in 50 1/3 innings for Seattle last season, allowing just 39 hits and eight walks. Perhaps most importantly, he had 14 multiple-inning outings. Petit is another multiple-inning option, having pitched more than one frame in 33 of his 60 appearances last year with the Angels, and posting a 2.76 ERA. Buchter limited opponents to a .187 batting average last season between San Diego and Kansas City, compiling an ERA of 2.89.
Add to the mix returners Danny Coulombe, Liam Hendriks, and Ryan Dull, who will begin the season on the 10-day disabled list, and the A's should have one of the strongest bullpens in the American League. The million dollar question (or $5.5 million in this case) is what to do with Santiago Casilla. The 37-year-old has had a rough spring, allowing eight earned runs in just 5 2/3 innings. The veteran right-hander may have reached the end of the road.
Bob Melvin's use of the bullpen this season will have to be a balancing act. While he has several strong options out of the pen, the last thing Melvin wants to do is overwork his best relievers - just ask Dodgers manager Dave Roberts how that worked out last year. Fortunately, Melvin has several reliable arms that can pitch multiple innings, and if his starters can keep the A's close through five or six frames, he can count on the bullpen to take the team across the finish line.
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