A’s starting rotation battle 2023
MESA, Arizona — The warming weather in Arizona over the past week is symbolic of the current state of the A.
Entering the camp, manager Mark Kotsay hinted that a six-man rotation was an option that was being discussed internally, depending largely on how new signing Shintaro Fujinami adjusts to a fifth-day role. Up to this point, Oakland is expected to open the season with a traditional pitching team of five starters and eight relievers, although one of those bullpen slots could be a multi-inning role filled by one of the starting pitchers who fails rotation.
Of the 10 pitchers in camp who are considered legitimate rotation candidates, seven have now pitched in at least two Cactus League games. Adam Oller improved his case in Thursday’s 1-0 win over the Dodgers at Hohokam Stadium with arguably the best outing of any A-pitcher yet, throwing four scoreless innings with two hits and two walks while hitting seven.
“I love the competition,” said Oller. “I think it’s good for everyone. You bring in good competition, it will either bring out the best in you or you will collapse. I feel like we all brought out the best in each other. There was a lot of fun.”
About halfway through spring training, here’s where the picture of the starting rotation is:
Castles: Paul Blackburn, Shintaro Fujinami, Drew Rucinski
Coming off an all-star campaign, Blackburn is likely the favorite to take the mound for opening day of A’s Come on March 30 at the Oakland Coliseum. Fujinami has lived up to the hype surrounding his signing this offseason by flashing electrical stuff on his first two spring outings, with the only question being how his arm rebounds under normal workloads. His second Cactus League outing came five days after his first but the A’s expect to test his response to four days off soon.
A signal that Rucinski’s place in the starting XI could be secure came on Thursday when the A’s opted to have him face off against hitters in a sim game at their minor league complex to build his workload rather than him in fielded at a Cactus League game.
In the mix: Adam Oller, Ken Waldichuk, Kyle Muller, Adrián Martínez
Oller continues to find success with his recently added breaking ball. Of his seven punchouts against the Dodgers on Thursday, five ended on the breaker, which he describes as a sort of hybrid between a slider and a curveball. Through three games in the Cactus League, Oller holds a 1.86 ERA and leads all pitchers on the list with 14 strikeouts in 9 2/3 innings.
Waldichuk (Oakland’s No. 2 pick) had trouble hitting his innings goal, pitching a lot on his first two starts and allowing five runs with five hits and four walks over 2 2/3 innings. Muller (No. 5) has had mixed results in three games, most recently playing 3 2/3 innings and allowing two carries with five hits and a walk with three strikeouts in an exhibition game against Team Colombia.
Martínez looked sharp before leaving camp to join Team Mexico in the World Baseball Classic, going four innings without conceding a deserved run in his two spring games. The A’s will be keeping an eye on how he fares at the Classic over the next few weeks.
Starter/Bullpen Options: JP Sears, Freddy Tarnok
Sears only played as a starter when he switched to the A’s in the Frankie Montas deal last season, but his experience as a swingman during his time with the Yankees makes him an ideal candidate to bring long relief if he’s not with a rotation place comes from the camp.
Tarnok (No. 9) is more likely to start the season at Triple-A Las Vegas, but his performance earlier in spring should keep him on the radar. He has allowed just one deserved run in three games, including Wednesday’s show against Colombia.
Unknown: James Kaprieelian
Kaprielian, who is entering spring practice after returning from offseason surgery on his right shoulder, has faced hitters in live batting practice and simulated action but has yet to appear in a game this spring. Kotsay maintains his belief that he still has plenty of time to build up a full starter workload, especially with the number of days off the A’s have early in the season. Better prospects for Kaprieelian should come once he makes his Cactus League debut.