If you have landed here ...

You are in the wrong place!! BBST has MOVED to it's own domain:

BBSTmlb.com <-------- Just click here!

It's the same stuff you'd have previously found on my blog in a new convenient location! There's a layout and there will be new features ... for example, Relative Replays: Behind the Bullpen Chatter (coming soon) is a weekly series in which there will be a conversation between two life-long baseball fanatics: a mother-daughter discussion that can be about everything and anything related to baseball. Sometimes we will debate, others talk about current events, historical issues, the A's (obviously) ... whatever strikes our fancy. 

Now, I don't know about another mother-daughter baseball blog ... if you have please let me know.

BBST (Bullpen, Baseball and Sock Talk) along with it's sister blog/series (haven't figured that out just yet), Relative Replays, will hopefully be fun, engaging and a first of its kind ... the site is still under construction but everything should be up and running soon! Thanks for reading and I hope you will follow me over to BBSTmlb.com! (it is part of Word Press so if you have a WP blog ... do me a favor! Follow the new BBST!! I hope you enjoy it!! Thanks! xx ~ Jen aka the original Oakland A's Socks Girl! You can find me on Twitter @OakAsSocksGrl

Bullpen, Baseball & Sock Talk has Moved!!

My Blog Has Moved!! 

Thank you for reading my blog over the last year! I'm excited to announce that it has moved to its own domain!! Though the new site is still under construction it was time to launch it! So please check it out by going to:

BBSTmlb.com

All of my previous blog posts have been imported to the knew blog but they will always still be there as well! I hope you will still enjoy my blog at its new location! Thanks again for listening to me rant and ramble, learn and work my way to becoming a legitimate baseball journalist at FanSided's Call to the Pen. I will always have Baseball, Bullpen & Sock Talk but it was time to expand! So please check out the new site! I hope you like it! Thank you!! 

  

A's Acquire Blanks from Padres

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There had been rumors of this pending trade but it was officially announced Thursday that the Oakland Athletics have indeed traded minor league outfielder Jake Goebbert and a player to be named later to the San Diego Padres for first baseman/outfielder Kyle Blanks. Blanks was just optioned to Triple-A El Paso on Wednesday to make room for Carlos Quentin, who was activated from the disabled list, on the roster. The right handed hitting Blanks is expected to platoon with lefty Brandon Moss at first base.

The A’s new first baseman has hit 28 home runs in just 715 MLB at-bats. In Blanks the Athletics have gotten a potential power hitter. The only problem is that he seems to have had trouble staying healthy. Since making his big league debut for the Padres on June 19, 2009, the most games he has played in, in a single season, was 88 in 2013.

For more on this story CLICK HERE! Brought to you by Outside Pitch Sports Network LLC.

Find us on Twitter @OakAsSocksGrl and @OPSN_MLB

Can a Careless Whisper Cure Reddicks' Batting Woes?

If you are an A's fan and let's face it you probably are because you are actually reading my blog then you're probably well aware of Josh Reddick's new theme song Careless Whisper by Wham ... it's quite the unusual walk up song but since premiering it on Monday in the first of a three game series against the Chicago White Sox Reddick has been hitting. He went 2-4 Monday night with a triple and 2-5 Tuesday night with a two-run home run. The fans in Oakland love it and so do the other players. Here's a longer version of video than just the Vine clip that has been circulating on Twitter.
The big question though is should we be believing that the 2012 Reddick has returned? I'm gonna say, "No," at least not yet. I know that every A's fan wants to believe it and with the song, it's really hard not to. Yet, let's not be too hasty! It's only two games so I am not ready to eat my words just yet. Back on April 6th I said that the A's should send Reddick down to Triple-A Sacramento. The guy couldn't hit, desperately needed to shorten his swing and was basically just fanning everything. His batting average in April? .241. Could have been worse but you'll see that even when we move on to May, it's only gotten worse.

However I did say that I would totally take it all back if he turned it around and no, I am not ready to do that .... YET. These last two games he's appeared to be the 2012 Josh Reddick who hit 32 bombs and batted .241. 

I'm certainly not questioning that his defense is still superior to almost every other right fielder out there. In 2013, while fighting a wrist injury that required off season surgery, he barley lost out on winning the Gold Glove to Boston's Shane Victorino. He made two insane "Spider-man" like grabs to rob San Francisco's Mike Morse of two home runs in the first game of spring training. So I have never questioned his defense but his offense has been pretty bad, really ugly even. As much as you want to believe he's back, I still need more proof.

In the month of May Reddick is batting .216 with eight strikeouts, only two walks and just three RBI. All three RBI came in the last two games against Chicago. So am I NOT ready to take back all of what I wrote about Reddick but I will take back the fact that I thought he should be sent down, for now. Here's what I said about Reddick after the first week of the season in my article on OPSN Five Changes the A's Need to Make Right Now:

"1. Send Reddick Down to Triple-A: Reddick is currently hitting .100 in 22 plate appearances with eight strikeouts. Now some question why I would single out Reddick when Josh Donaldson‘s batting average is similar to Reddick’s. I would answer that by looking at Reddick’s numbers in Boston and his numbers post 2012.  You would see that they are not that different meaning his so-called breakout year could very well have been a fluke. Donaldson’s breakout year was only last season so I would keep him and give him a chance to turn it around. Reddick has had his chances. Let’s be honest, Reddick slumped down the stretch in 2012 and started 2013 on a slow note. Granted he was injured in April slamming his wrist into a wall in a game in Houston. The wrist injury did not affect his defense as he was in the running for the AL Gold Glove in 2013 and his excuse that the injury hindered his swing is worth a grain of salt but he’s repeatedly said that he is 100 percent healthy this season so there is no excuse for batting .100 even in the first week of the season."

I had a chance to reread it and I still stand by the majority of my convictions but I will say that my wanting him sent down to Triple-A was, and still is, a bit rash. Can a simple Careless Whisper bring back the 2012 Reddick? I absolutely hope so and the past two nights have shown a marked improvement but two ballgames in the grand scheme of 162 means next to nothing. To believe he's back after two games is just naive.

I will say that I am pleased with his recent success and if he keeps it going then I will take back every negative thing I have said about him, however true it may have been at the time but that, my friends, is still a promise. I want to see our boys in the white cleats win as much as y'all do so ... I'd say let's have fun with the song for sure but don't see it as a sudden cure for Reddick's offensive woes at least not just yet. Let the numbers be your guide. Remember Reddick is still batting a measly .233 on the year with just two homers, so don't let his bravado fool you. In my opinion he still has something to prove at the plate.

Could Oakland's Derek Norris be an All-Star candidate?

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I am pretty positive that right now 95% of you are thinking, “Who is Derek Norris?” I will get to that, don’t worry, but I must also say I wasn’t the first person to come up with this seemingly “crazy” idea. To be honest I have to credit MLB.com’s Anthony Castrovince and Doug Miller for first thinking about the possibility that Derek Norris could earn a spot on the American League’s midsummer classic’s roster since a spot has more than likely being vacated by Baltimore Orioles’ catcher Matt Wieters. Wieters recently saw Dr. Andrews and while he will not be the first catcher of the season to need Tommy John surgery, he is going to spend time on the disabled list. Wieters’ elbow injury opens up the possibility for other names to emerge into the conversation for the A.L.’s starting catcher.

You now have two major clues about Derek Norris. You know he is a the catcher on an American League team, which narrows it down to approximately 15 players. Still curious? Or have you already checked baseball-reference.com?

To find out why Norris could be an All-Star candidate CLICK HERE! Brought to you by Outside Sports Pitch Network LLC

Find us on Twitter @OakAsSocksGrl and @OPSN_MLB

Nationals' Pitcher Tanner Roark .... Wait, Who?

Exactly .... 

Going into tonight’s game between the Washington Nationals and the Oakland Athletics I know I had ever heard of Tanner Roark. Granted I do follow the American League more so than the National League, still I found it odd that I had never heard of the National’s big, although not necessarily tall or heavy, right-hander. The Nationals are a team I have a soft spot for. There’s no real rhyme or reason for it except that they have two of my favorite former A’s, starter Gio Gonzalez and reliever Jerry Blevins. I assumed I would know something about the all of the other pitchers in their rotation besides Gonzalez, which I did with the exception of Roark. When Roark held the A’s to two hits in 7.2 inning, I thought, “alright, what’s with this kid?”

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In a baseball sense he is a kid even though he made his first pitching appearance at the age of 26 last season. He pitched barely over the rookie status limit of 50 innings (53.2) last season in just 14 games, five of them starts. So going into this season he’s like the pitcher he faced Saturday the A’s Sonny Gray. He is still practically a rookie, but is not considered one under Major League Baseball’s official rules. Gray pitched 64.0 innings last season with Oakland. I got a little comfort regarding my ignorance from that, but I still can’t understand why I hadn’t really heard of this guy. Especially since he has already pitched a complete game shutout this year.

To Read More about Tanner Roark CLICK HERE! Brought to you by Outside Pitch Sports Network LLC

You can find us on Twitter @OakAsSocksGrl and @OPSN_MLB.

Why the A's Should Trade for a Starter

The A’s are looking good this season, despite losing their last two series to the Boston Red Sox and the Seattle Mariners. They are sitting atop the American League West with a 20-15 record and a game and a half lead over the second place Texas Rangers. So yes, they are not in any danger right now and are looking like playoff contenders.

Ezra Shaw/Getty Images

Besides the pitching of former closer Jim Johnson, the A’s pitching has been strong which has been a surprise to many since they lost two of their starters for the year to Tommy John Surgery, Jarrod Parker andA.J. Griffin. However their four and five starters have been slowing down the rest of the team. Not that Dan Straily orTommy Milone have been terrible but look at it this way, the A’s are 16-5 when their top three starters Sonny Gray, Scott Kazmir and Jesse Chavez pitch, when the other two and one time call up Josh Lindbloom have pitched the A’s have a record of 3-10. That means something needs to change at the back end of the rotation.

(*stats do not include Milone's eight inning gem last night, but let's face it ... he can be inconsistent that way and the premise of this story written before yesterday's game still stands*)

To read more of this piece CLICK HERE! Brought to you by Outside Pitch Sports Network LLC

Find us on Twitter @OakAsSocksGrl and @OPSN_MLB

Happy Birthday 1st to my Blog!

My blog is now exactly one year old. I have written exactly 260 posts (inlcuding this one) and work now at two different websites Outside Pitch Sports Network and Sports Unbiased (as you may have guessed because I am always promoting them). Today I'm gonna share my very first post with you as well as some others that I have liked as a birthday present to my blog! 

I also wanted to announce a new blog that I am going to have. I will be moving this blog from blogger to Word Press. It's not completed yet but the address of it will be http://BBSTmlb.com I will continue to bring the latest MLB news and updates my self and may or may not keep up with my daily updates (they're tougher to do than you'd think, I may go every other day - unless I just write the headlines so you get the basics of the day. I am not sure! Anyone have any comments?? please leave them! I am terrible at making decisions). Each week on a connected blog called "Relative Replays: Behind the Bullpen Chatter" that I will be co-authoring with my baseball loving mother, Barbara - well I'm not sure yet - we'll probably pick a big headline for the week and either debate or just discuss it .... It's all in the works and as soon as it is ready I will let it be known on this blog!! I'm working on it!

I hope one day to make the new blog much bigger and better than this one! My mom and I can be pretty funny and we both know entirely too much about the game ... I haven't decided on what to do with this one yet ... but I will keep you posted! But I will be doing most of my blogging with links to my articles on the new blog so PLEASE FOLLOW MY NEW WORD PRESS BLOG: BBTSmlb.com. But not yet because it's not fully functional! lol! Thanks! Enjoy my little collection of blog posts ... AND HAPPY 1st BIRTHDAY BULLPEN, BASEBALL & SOCK TALK! YAY! 

• First Post, First Pitch - May 9, 2013
• In Response to Jon Heyman's Comments re: The Coliseum - May 29, 2013
• History of Oakland A's Socks Girl - June 17, 2013
• 2013 Oakland A's Playoff Predictions - October 4, 2013 (I was wrong but whatevs)
• First attempt at a Video Blog! - October 16, 2013
• Shibe Park 1909-1976: A little Athletics History Lesson - January 14, 2014 
• Young to Retire & a whole litany of other things (got a bit off topic) - January 30, 2014
• Salary Arbitration and Hearings Explained - February 1, 2014
• My Prediction Comes True! AJ Burnett to the Phillies - February 12, 2014
• MLB Network's Face of MLB Competition: Just Who Is This Guy With the Glasses? - February 22, 2014
• Bold Prediction: Billy Burns Makes A's Opening Day Roster - March 13, 2014
• A's Prospect Billy Burns is so Fast he'll make you say " Billy Hamilton? Who?" - April 10, 2014
• My First Two Podcast Appearances - April 16, 2014

Ok that's it for now, for today at this point but you never know - if I have more time I will write more! Check back! Thanks for reading! I truly appreciate it!

xoxo ~ Jen

Griffin to have Surgery Wednesday, Details Still Shrouded in Mystery

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Since it was reported last week that Oakland A's pitcher A.J. Griffin was seeking a second opinion on his injured elbow. There have been varying reports as to what is to become of the pitcher and his fate for the 2014 season. At first it was will he require surgery at all or just more rehabilitation? Originally diagnosed with flexor tendinitis but having made no real progress in six weeks, Griffin decided on the second opinion.

Then a few days ago  it was reported by CSN Bay Area's Joe Stiglich that Griffin was having Tommy John surgery on Tuesday (what would have been today). That report was then refuted by the San Francisco Chronicle's Susan Slusser who spoke with A's assistant general manager David Forst who said that no plans were made for surgery and that Griffin's appointment with Dr. Melhoff was only scheduled for Tuesday (today).

Well Slusser has now confirmed that Griffin will in-fact have season ending surgery but what type has not yet been specified or if it has it has not been released to the public.

Griffin will have elbow surgery in Houston tomorrow.
— Susan Slusser (@susanslusser) April 29, 2014

In her most recent report for the San Francisco Chronicle of less than an hour ago, Slusser says that not even A's manager Bob Melvin knows the specifics of the surgery. Slusser writes that the surgery could be,

"a Tommy John procedure – the most common elbow surgery – or could involve other elbow ligaments besides the ulnar collateral ligament, or could involve the flexor tendon. Then there are all the unknowns such as cartilage damage, etc. Dr. Thomas Mehlhoff will perform the procedure."

In any case any elbow surgery will end Griffin's 2014 season before it even began. He is expected to return no later than mid season 2015. No specific timeline will be known until the type of surgery he is having is known.

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Melvin did say that he had an idea of who would be next in line if another starter needs to be replaced. Besides Griffin, starter Jarrod Parker is out for the season having had Tommy John surgery during spring training. In their steads Jesse Chavez and Tommy Milone have stepped into the rotation. Chavez has been a virtual ace for the A's and Milone has held his own. In the case another starter is needed Melvin said that it will not be long reliever Drew Pomeranz who is comfortable in his role and currently not stretched out enough to move into starting duties. Since the A's will need an extra starter for their double header next week Slusser tweeted that it will likely be Josh Lindbloom or Arnold Leon. Lindbloom pitched the one game of the A's first double header earlier this month.

Melvin says if #Athletics need another starter - and they will for doubleheader next week - it will be Leon or Lindblom. #Athletics
— Susan Slusser (@susanslusser) April 29, 2014

At least the Athletics have a plan on starter depth. Losing two starters for the year can be a big blow to a team but so far the A's haven't missed a beat. They are currently sitting atop the AL West at 16-10. Still, although the A's are prepared and ready to continue their strong season, one has to wonder what is with all the secrecy surrounding Griffin's surgery?? 

Video: "Sonny" Skies over Oakland

Even all the way from Texas there were "Sonny" skies in Oakland Monday as 24-year old Sonny Gray pitched his first career complete game shutout! #ItsAlwaysSonnyInOakland

To Read More on this Story CLICK HERE! Brought to you by Outside Pitch Sports Network LLC.

Find us on Twitter @OakAsSocksGrl and @OPSN_MLB.

A's Cepedes Leaves Game Early; Griffin Suffers Setback

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It looks as the the wave of injuries that has already hit the team on the east side of the bay pretty hard, may be on its way to back to Oakland. Yoenis Cespedes, the A’s left fielder, was forced to exit Thursday’s game during the seventh inning. Cespedes has just begun to hit his stride this season. While only batting .238 after getting off to a slow start Cespedes has hit four home runs in the last week.

Unfortunately, it now appears that the 28-year old Cuban star may be sidelined with a hamstring injury after he limped off the Houston Astros’ field at Minute Maid park in the seventh inning. He is expected to be kept out of the A’s lineup for at least a couple days if not more.

To Read More CLICK HERE! Brought to you by Outside Pitch Sports Network LLC

Find us on Twitter @OakAsSocksGrl and @OPSN_MLB

ABSOLUTE MUST SEE VIDEO! The Flying Coco Crisp!!

I wrote about this video for OPSN so you can see it there too or find the link in my last post but I had to post this on my blog as well because it was such a cool play by our wonderful and fearless leader Mr. Coco Crisp and it is something that I personally would like to remember. The video is from MLB.com. Anyways - We love Coco in Oakland and he's loves it here too and will be around the next couple of years which is something we are not really used to in Oaktown. He's the verteran, the comedian, the leader of the team and apparently now he can fly ... Check it out!!

A's, Doolittle Agree to Contract Extension

Bob Levey/Getty Images

The Oakland Athletics and left handed reliever Sean Doolittle have agreed to a new five-year contract that will take him from this season through the 2018 season the club announced Friday. The contract includes club options for 2019 and 2020. The first five years of the new contract take Doolittle through his first three years of arbitration. If the club decides to utilize their options for 2019 and 2020 it will cover his first two years of free-agency. No financial terms of the contract were announced but should be within days.

Doolittle was converted from a first baseman to a pitcher in just 2011 and primarily only threw a fastball for his first two seasons in the majors. He made the fastball work for him by starting very far to the first base side of the rubber as well as having an unusual release point right next to his ear. It made it hard for players to see the pitch clearly and it has worked for him nicely.

To Read More on this new story CLICK HERE! Brought to you by Outside Pitch Sports Network LLC

You can find us on Twitter @OakAsSocksGrl and @OPSN_MLB

2014: Life as a MLB Season Ticket When the Team is Away, the Fans ...??

It’s a good question really. What do crazy fans who attend almost every ballgame do when their team is on a long road trip? Right now my Oakland A’s will have been gone 10 full days when they return Friday to take on the Houston Astros. (I threw out the ceremonial first pitch to Ryan Cook at the first A’s vs. Astros game in 2013 but that is another story for another time.)

Anyway, of course there are fans and season ticket holders who follow their teams on road trips, my self included (but again that’s another story for another time). Yet no one can follow their team to every city, unless of course they are a millionaire and can travel anywhere but the average, normal person who’s a crazy fan (so semi-normal people), what do they do when their team is away?

Well, I guess the first thing people like me do are all the normal things that you let go because there was that, Wednesday double header that you just couldn’t miss. Things like laundry, dishes, errands, making up for that day of work you may (most likely) have missed. But how do these obsessed fans cope?

Wanna read more about what I do when the A's are outta town? CLICK HERE! 

Brought to you by Sports Unbiased

You can find us on Twitter @OakAsSocksGrl and @SportsUnbiased1

My First Two Podcast Appearances

My 1st LIVE podcast appearance:

Truluv Sports Talk on BlogTalkRadio

AL West Discussion: 4/15/14 

CLICK HERE TO LISTEN IN!

(I am the first guest!)

My VERY 1st podcast appearance: 

Ultimate Sports Talk Show:

A's Discussion: 3/27/14

CLICK HERE TO LISTEN IN!

(I come in around the 45 min mark!)

Who Will Close in Oakland? The A's have Options.

It’s known around the league by now that the Oakland A’s  have removed their new closer from the closer role. The A’s acquired Jim Johnson from the Baltimore Orioles during the off-season in a trade for infielder Jemile Weeks and catcher David Freitas. They also took on Johnson’s contract guaranteeing that they would pay the final year of the right-handers’ contract in which he is making $10 million dollars. What looked like a salary dump by Baltimore, they really didn’t receive much in trade, might have  been a strategic move by general manager Dan Duquette and company.

On the surface and at times Johnson appears to be dominating. You can’t deny he did amass 101 saves in the past two years yet he also blew nine saves in 2013. That is a lot of lost games in any division except maybe if you’re just hoping for a Wild Card spot in the NL West. He has already lost two games (almost three if not for extra innings heroics from catcher Derek Norris) for the A’s, despite getting one save and then four strikeouts Friday night in a non save situation, that’s it. The A’s don’t have the luxury to lose games that should have been easily won, not if they want to win their third consecutive  American League Western Division Title and more. So Johnson is out of a job at least for now and manager Bob Melvin is starting out using the “closer by committee” option but eventually one of the four pitchers I am about to mention will emerge as closer material. Also predicted will be their role if it is not the closer role. They are LHP Sean Doolittle, RHP Ryan Cook, RHP Luke Gregerson and RHP Dan Otero.

To Read my analysis on each pitcher CLICK HERE! Brought to you by Outside Pitch Sports Network LLC

Find us on Twitter @OakAsSocksGrl and @OPSN_MLB for more MLB News and Analysis

Remembering What I Knew of Angels' Pitcher Nick Adenhart ....5 years Later ...

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Honestly, I knew little of Nick Adenhart. I knew he was young, new on the big league scene and as far as I was concerned really good at his job. I never met him or his friends or anyone else on the Angels ... wait I met  Lackey once but that is story about how one guy could be so damn ugly. You think he's bad with a hat - try without one at a bar Ewww! But back to the story at hand, a story that matters and may just teach you something whoever you happen to be....

Nick Adenhart was a pitcher for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim in 2009. He had pitched in the big leagues before but in 2009 he won the third spot in the  Angels rotation. After his first and very impressive start to the season he lost his life in an accident and it’s something I will always remember because basically in a way, I was there. The five year anniversary of his death and the death of two of his friends was on Wednesday. It happened on April 9, 2009. It does not seem like five years have passed but time just flies the older you get. I didn’t know Nick but the tragedy that occurred affected everyone around it.

My Story:

I was in Anaheim for the final game Angels pitcher, Nick Adenhart ever pitched. It was the third game in a series against the Oakland Athletics and for six innings he owned the A’s. The A’s ended up winning 6-4 so it was easier for me to appreciate those six shutout innings than . I remember thinking, “That kid is good. Better keep an eye on him” – or something of that nature. That night I was in Fullerton where the crash occurred. A friend of of mine owns a popular restaurant and bar there called The Slidebar Rock ‘n Roll Cafe. My friend Jeremy, my mom and I were hanging out there late night having a few drinks and tasting the all new items on the menu. We heard a loud noise and consequently soon after sirens. I remember we talked about it for a minute and moved on. I mean it probably didn’t affected us in anyway. Turned out that it did. My mom and I watched him that night pitch against our A’s. My friend Jeremy is an Angels fan. We were affected but not in the way so many others were.

To read the rest of my part of the story, what happened next and what has happened since CLICK HERE!

Brought to you by Outside Pitch Sports Network LLC

Find us on Twitter @OakAsSocksGrl and @OPSN_MLB

A's Prospect Billy Burns is so fast he'll make you say "Billy Hamilton who?"

This isn’t the first time I’ve mentioned Oakland A’s prospect Billy Burns on Outside Pitch Sports Network, so it’s no secret I have some bias towards this kid. It’s just that, man, he is a joy to watch. In fact I made the bold prediction that he would make the Oakland Athletics’ opening day roster. While that didn’t happen – although he was kept up with the team until the very last second – and he is starting out the year in Midland Texas with the A’s Double-A Affiliate Rockhounds, don’t be surprised if he sprints all the way up to the majors by September. That is exactly what Billy Burns does. He sprints. If you think that Cincinnati Reds’ outfielder Billy Hamilton is fast, then you need to see Billy Burns play in person.

To Read the rest of the article and see a video of Billy's speed CLICK HERE! Brought to you by OPSN.

Find us on Twitter @OakAsSocksGrl and @OPSN_MLB

*To read my first article on Billy Burns and my bold prediction about him ... 

CLICK HERE!*

Burns stealing yet another base! Getty Images

Five Changes the A's Need to Make Right Now

Obviously it is not time to panic. No, it’s only been seven scheduled ballgames.  At this point the Oakland Athletics have won two out of the five games that they have actually played, out of the six that have been scheduled and with their ace 24-year old Sonny Gray on the mound there’s a decent chance they can emerge out of the first seven days of play with three wins and three losses. In a week, I’d call that unscathed. There was a rain out that turned into a double header and the next day a 12-inning marathon that ended in a 3-2 win. Then another game was canceled due to weather. So, like I said, no time to panic ...

Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

Ok, so why is everyone panicking and what can be done to quell the nervousness that is surrounding what should be a strong team? Problem number one: closer Jim Johnson who was acquired from the Orioles this off season. There  are lots of issues with this. The A’s gave up relatively nothing in Jemile Weeks and a player to be named later, who ended up being catcher David Freitas. They did, however,  take on the $10 million a year that Johnson makes and with a budget like Oakland’s he’s a player they are going to have to work with. So far he is responsible for two of the A’s losses. Letting what should have been an easy 9th inning where the A’s had the lead turn into a complete nightmare. And it’s not the type of nightmare where he gave up home runs. There were hits, there were walks and both blown saves were far from pretty. The fans are already up in arms with two arguments or complaints for Oakland’s general manager Billy Beane and manager Bob Melvin. The first is why didn’t the club keep their closer of the last two years who was let go to free agency when they could have afforded him? The second is why don’t they demote Johnson from closer and demote him now? As I mentioned panic has begun to set in in Oakland.

The other major is a HUGE lack of offense. When Jarrod Parker and A.J. Griffin both went down, Parker to season ending Tommy John surgery, everyone suspected that the A’s problem would be their starting pitching. Personally, I barely even flinched. I put more stock in Gray, Dan Straily and now that I have seen him pitch Scott Kazmir than either Parker or Griffin. Parker can be effective, so can Griffin but neither are entirely as consistent as I’d like and Griffin’s propensity for giving up home runs is quite staggering. Not shockingly, at least to me, is that the starting pitching and relief pitching by every pitcher but Johnson has been great. Collectively the A’s entire staff has an ERA of 2.44 which is pretty good considering Johnson’s alone is 22.00. The collective batting average of the team? .214. They aren’t letting teams score runs they are just not scoring any and the deficits in their lineup are not the ones you’d expect.

There are already some easy changes that could be made that would benefit the club. They have enough depth at almost every positions to correct these issues. Some may find them my suggestion bold, others may see them as obvious.  However you see them, here is my take on five ways the A’s can easily improve their two key issues: offense and the closer situation.

To Find Out What Five Changes I think the A's need to Make CLICK HERE! Brought to you by Outside Pitch Sports Network LLC. 

You can find us on Twitter @OakAsSocksGrl and @OPSN_MLB