Assuming Drew is re-signed, able to keep Inge as an off-the-bench player and nobody else is traded???

The Line-up will be determined by LH or RH starting and pitching. The A's will also have the capabilty for matching up with relief/closer pitching late in the game.

Outfield/DH

LF/CF/DH  Coco Crisp          Bats LH/RH
LF/CF/DH  Yoenis Cespedes  Bats RH
RF/DH       Josh Reddick       Bats LH
RF/CF/DH  Chris Young        Bats RH
LF/DH       Seth Smith         Bats LH

Infield

Josh Donaldson  Bats RH
Scott Sizemore  Bats Rh
Adam Rosales    Bats RH
Stephen Drew   Bats LH
Eric Sogard       Bats LH
Jemile Weeks    Bats LH/RH
Grant Green      Bats RH
Brandon Inge    Bats LH
Brandon Moss   Bats LH
Cris Carter       Bats RH

Starting Pitchers

Anderson
Parker
Milone
Griffin
Peacock/Staily

Closers

Balfour
Cook

10 infielders and 2 relievers...ok.

It's really way too early, but I'll take a crack at the opening day 25 just for the hell of it.

OF;
Cespedes
Young
Reddick
Crisp
Smith/Moss (maybe trade Smith?)


IF;
Carter
Weeks
Drew
Donaldson
Sizemore
Parrino

C;
Norris
Kottaras

SP;
Anderson
Parker
Milone
Colon
Griffin

(Colon maybe move to bullpen if Straily/Peacock appear ready to lock down a spot in the rotation)

BP;
Balfour
Cook
Doolittle
Blevins
Norberto
Neshek
Scribner

A lot can happen between now and opening day, but looking at our current roster, I'd guess something like that.

I know the A's pitchers are good, but I think they would set some kind of passed ball / wild pitch record with no catchers.

The SP are fine, the OF is probably dead on unless the A's move a CF, but they are not going to carry 6 middle infielders in addition to 4 corner infielders.

Green and Weeks will likely be in Sac and Inge won't be back.

He wants to keep 10 infielders, but Parrino doesn't make the cut? LOL, that's rough!

BanditoB wrote: 

OF;
Cespedes
Young
Reddick
Crisp
Smith/Moss (maybe trade Smith?)

Hard to see Moss getting much time in the OF unless we sustain several injuries. He's probably the starter at first against RHP. No idea how Smith is going to see the field.

Obviously knocking on wood as I say that.

beermeplease wrote:

BanditoB wrote: 

OF;
Cespedes
Young
Reddick
Crisp
Smith/Moss (maybe trade Smith?)

Hard to see Moss getting much time in the OF unless we sustain several injuries. He's probably the starter at first against RHP. No idea how Smith is going to see the field.

Obviously knocking on wood as I say that.

I assume the same, most likely Carter and Moss will get the majority of their time at 1b/DH, but I put Moss name in the OF because he obviously has the capability to play there, and it looked more balanced.

Really no difference on the roster whether I list him as an IF or OF...he can do both.

Crisp Cf
Reddick/Young RF
Cespedes LF
Carter Dh
Moss 1b
Norris C
Donaldson 3b
Drew SS
Weeks 2b

Anderson
Parker
Straily
Colon
Milone or Griffin

Obviously lineups are a day-to-day thing, tons of variables, but I'd probably tentatively start with something like this if the season started today...



RHP;

Crisp-DH (sometimes playing CF to keep Young rested, or LF for Cespedes)
Drew-SS
Cespedes-LF
Moss-1b
Young-CF
Reddick-RF
Donaldson-3b
Norris-C
Weeks-2b

LHP;
Crisp-DH
Sizemore-2b
Cespedes-LF
Young-CF
Reddick-RF
Carter-1b
Donaldson-3b
Drew-SS
Norris-C

I don't see Moss anywhere but 1B w/ the amount of OF we have. Going to be interesting and exciting how Melvin juggles this lineup.

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--- BanditoB wrote:

beermeplease wrote:

BanditoB wrote: 

OF;
Cespedes
Young
Reddick
Crisp
Smith/Moss (maybe trade Smith?)

Hard to see Moss getting much time in the OF unless we sustain several injuries. He's probably the starter at first against RHP. No idea how Smith is going to see the field.

Obviously knocking on wood as I say that.

I assume the same, most likely Carter and Moss will get the majority of their time at 1b/DH, but I put Moss name in the OF because he obviously has the capability to play there, and it looked more balanced.

Really no difference on the roster whether I list him as an IF or OF...he can do both.

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benching carter for crisp or young would be hilarious. Carter is a significantly better hitter than Crisp. Carter has 30-40 HR potential. Chris Young flat out can't hit righties. Josh Reddick is probably a platoon player. I think the Moss thing will run its course, and he'll come tumbling back down to earth, but I have no problem giving him the 1b job out of ST.

Carter could hit the amount of HRs Reddick did last year, but walk a ton more, and make a ton less outs in the process.

BanditoB wrote: 10 infielders and 2 relievers...ok.

It says "closers" not releivers or bullpen??  I didn't have time to sift through all our pitching, but anyways...................

Then why does Young have to hit against RHs? The whole dynamic of this offense last yr was who was facing righties and who was facing lefties. That's why we have developed the depth and flexibility we have. Its an extreme way of maximizing your offense. Other teams have done it for yrs, but we are taking it to the extreme and its working. New Beane style of Moneyball. Get hitters that r right hand or left hand masters and mix and match. Its awesome and that's why I don't wantt anyone in the OF traded. I see what they r trying to do. Who plays is who is hot and who is pitching against.

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--- zitoforpres wrote:

benching carter for crisp or young would be hilarious. Carter is a significantly better hitter than Crisp. Carter has 30-40 HR potential. Chris Young flat out can't hit righties. Josh Reddick is probably a platoon player. I think the Moss thing will run its course, and he'll come tumbling back down to earth, but I have no problem giving him the 1b job out of ST.

Carter could hit the amount of HRs Reddick did last year, but walk a ton more, and make a ton less outs in the process.

---------------------------------------------

zitoforpres wrote: benching carter for crisp or young would be hilarious. Carter is a significantly better hitter than Crisp. Carter has 30-40 HR potential. Chris Young flat out can't hit righties. Josh Reddick is probably a platoon player. I think the Moss thing will run its course, and he'll come tumbling back down to earth, but I have no problem giving him the 1b job out of ST.

Carter could hit the amount of HRs Reddick did last year, but walk a ton more, and make a ton less outs in the process.

What makes you think Reddick is a platoon player? A hunch?

his .277 OBP vs. LHP...


and a .215/.256/.391 post ASB line.

BanditoB wrote: He wants to keep 10 infielders, but Parrino doesn't make the cut? LOL, that's rough!

I think Green, Parrino, Rosales, Sogard, and Sizemore are all pretty much "Utility Infielders", with the exception of Green, maybe playing outfield once in a Blue Moon. But yes I forgot about Parrino. With so many utility guys, I'm not shocked... But I'm sure one or two of these guys will be sent off somewhere else or optioned back to Sac Town.

zitoforpres wrote: benching carter for crisp or young would be hilarious. Carter is a significantly better hitter than Crisp. Carter has 30-40 HR potential. Chris Young flat out can't hit righties. Josh Reddick is probably a platoon player. I think the Moss thing will run its course, and he'll come tumbling back down to earth, but I have no problem giving him the 1b job out of ST.

Carter could hit the amount of HRs Reddick did last year, but walk a ton more, and make a ton less outs in the process.

That might be his upside, but I'm not as sold as you that he'll reach it, though I hope he does. I'm not sure he's ready to handle the pressure of being an everyday fixture in the middle of the lineup right now.

Carter is a notoriously slow starter, so I'd start him in a position where he's likely to succeed, and build confidence. Having him in there against LHP in the middle of the order is a pretty good place to start. Like I said there are a ton of variables, Carter would definitely have the opportunity here to play himself into an everyday role. I don't think he's done enough to be handed that over proven vets out of spring training for a contender. If he has a hot spring, maybe I'd re-think my stance.

I think it's "hilarious" that you'd take Reddick out of the lineup against LHP. He's one of our best overall players and his career splits don't suggest that he's substantially worse against LHP than RHP. Perhaps Reddick will end up playing himself into a platoon, but he should definitely be given that chance. He's coming off a 4 WAR and he's young, and there's nothing to suggest he can't hit LHP. In what world do you start the season with this guy on the bench?

So now Chris Carter is better than Josh Reddick? Come on. Reddick will start in RF unless cold cause his glove work is very good as his power is middle of the order variety. Carter's can be in time, but there is offense and defense in this game. I agree Carter has a good amount of upside, but I'm not sold yet either. He has rarely showed consistency for long periods of time hitting in his professional career other than knocking it out of the park. When he goes cold he goes supppperr cold

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--- BeaneBall wrote:

zitoforpres wrote: benching carter for crisp or young would be hilarious. Carter is a significantly better hitter than Crisp. Carter has 30-40 HR potential. Chris Young flat out can't hit righties. Josh Reddick is probably a platoon player. I think the Moss thing will run its course, and he'll come tumbling back down to earth, but I have no problem giving him the 1b job out of ST.

Carter could hit the amount of HRs Reddick did last year, but walk a ton more, and make a ton less outs in the process.

What makes you think Reddick is a platoon player? A hunch?

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BeaneBall wrote:

zitoforpres wrote: benching carter for crisp or young would be hilarious. Carter is a significantly better hitter than Crisp. Carter has 30-40 HR potential. Chris Young flat out can't hit righties. Josh Reddick is probably a platoon player. I think the Moss thing will run its course, and he'll come tumbling back down to earth, but I have no problem giving him the 1b job out of ST.

Carter could hit the amount of HRs Reddick did last year, but walk a ton more, and make a ton less outs in the process.

What makes you think Reddick is a platoon player? A hunch?

I would love to see Reddick be an everyday player but until he can figure out LH pitching he'll have to settle for batting and pinch hitting against RH's. He was
atrocious against LH pitching late in the year once the word got out for how LH's needed to pitch to him.

Moss will see some time in the OF... more time if Reddick runs into slumps the way he did the end of last year.  Hoping that Chris Young allows him to sit or DH a little more to keep him healthy.

AthleticsFan03 wrote: I don't see Moss anywhere but 1B w/ the amount of OF we have. Going to be interesting and exciting how Melvin juggles this lineup.

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--- BanditoB wrote:

beermeplease wrote:

BanditoB wrote: 

OF;
Cespedes
Young
Reddick
Crisp
Smith/Moss (maybe trade Smith?)

Hard to see Moss getting much time in the OF unless we sustain several injuries. He's probably the starter at first against RHP. No idea how Smith is going to see the field.

Obviously knocking on wood as I say that.

I assume the same, most likely Carter and Moss will get the majority of their time at 1b/DH, but I put Moss name in the OF because he obviously has the capability to play there, and it looked more balanced.

Really no difference on the roster whether I list him as an IF or OF...he can do both.

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