Oakland Athletics Roster
- AL West
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- Oakland Coliseum
Oakland Athletics starting pitcher A.J. Puk (shoulder) could open the season in the starting rotation with the league year delayed due to the coronavirus. The 24-year-old lefty was expected to be a starter coming into the season, but a shoulder injury in Spring Training changed those plans. Puk only threw 36 2/3 innings last season due to a different shoulder injury, so the A's were likely to preserve his innings anyway, but a shortened season gives him a chance to be in the rotation all year. If he's starting, the top-prospect is an attractive fantasy option at pick number 236 on average.
Oakland Athletics catcher Sean Murphy had another strong game Monday night in Cactus League action vs the Rangers. The A's backstop went 2-for-3 with a two-run homer as he continues his solid spring after missing the first couple of weeks recovering from offseason knee surgery. Fantasy drafters that wait on catcher may want to take a closer look at Murphy, he put up 10 homers in 31 games at Triple-A last season and should be a solid on-base player as well with good plate-discipline numbers throughout his time in the minors. He's currently being drafted as the 14th catcher off the board, but has a case to go earlier and should be owned in 12-team leagues and deeper.
Oakland Athletics second baseman Franklin Barreto is off to a strong start this spring as he competes for the starting second base job. Barreto has 11 hits and nine RBI in 14 games this spring leading to a cool 1.075 OPS. Obviously the sample size is small, but Barreto has upside based on his 19 homers and 15 stolen bases in Triple-A last year. Jorge Mateo is having a solid spring as well, and whoever wins the job will have late-round flier appeal in category-based fantasy leagues. Both players should be owned in dynasty leagues, and are names to monitor this spring for redraft leagues.
Oakland Athletics second baseman Jorge Mateo had another solid game Monday night in the competition for the starting second base job. Mateo led off the game with a walk before swiping second and moving to third on an error. He would later score on a shallow sacrifice fly as he flashed the speed that once saw him steal 71 bases in one season in the minors. Franklin Barreto likely still as the inside track to the job, but the A's coaching staff can't ignore what Mateo could possibly bring to an already strong A's lineup. For fantasy purposes, Mateo has enormous stolen base upside, and he would be must-own in all category formats if, or when, he winds up with a starting job.
Oakland Athletics starting pitcher A.J. Puk (shoulder) will start throwing again Tuesday or shortly thereafter, according to Shayna Rubin. Puk felt discomfort in his pitching shoulder during a bullpen session last week and has been shut down to rest. Initial reports were that the injury wasn't overly serious, and if Puk can start throwing again that is a good sign he'll return soon. Puk is a promising rookie, but has only threw 36 2/3 innings last season after missing all of 2018. He offers solid upside for a draft pick outside the top-200 overall, but the A's will surely monitor his innings carefully given he's already dealing with an injury.