Kuzul

In the midst of their (still) ongoing 10-game losing streak, adding players outside the organization to the roster doesn’t seem to be an option at this point. 

But with a new manager, lineup adjustments and utilizing their farm system—including entertaining trades for their veterans that have value—must be considered to jump-start their woefully impotent lineup, which ranks in the bottom five of all of MLB entering Friday’s action in these offensive categories: Runs (227 in 64 games), HR (35), Total Bases (755), BA (.239), OBP (.304) and SLG (.347). 

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In an unexpected move, recently acquired left-handed reliever David Purcey was dealt to the Detroit Tigers for second baseman Scott Sizemore.

Sizemore, who was the Tigers minor league player of the year in 2009, was immediately sent to Triple-A Sacramento. 

The most likely scenario seems to be that the A’s acquired Sizemore as a feasible option—with some long-term potential, still, at just 26 years old—at third base in case the A’s pull the plug on Kevin Kouzmanoff and Andy LaRoche in favor of Sizemore and Rosales, who is due to return before the All-Star break. 

Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle wrote today that, in part, the trade was made with Andrew Bailey in mind. 

Bailey is due back in a week or so, Slusser argued, and the only players who have options are Brad Ziegler and Joey Devine, thereby making Purcey the odd man out. 

I don’t see any way this wasn’t part of the A’s thinking, but it is also highly unlikely that the A’s don’t expect Sizemore to play a role with this club very soon. 

Sending Sizemore to Triple-A may just be to get his feet wet with the organization and hopefully put together a good string of at-bats, for the A’s may be close to making a move at third base. 

The idea that he will challenge Mark Ellis for starts and at-bats at second base is far-fetched in my view.  Ellis, with his history with the club and stability he provides defensively, will almost certainly play out the last year of his contract regardless of the quality of his play. 

In the long term, Jemile Weeks, their first-round pick in 2008, seems to be an easy guess to fill Ellis’ role next year. 

I don’t see any way the A’s did this deal without the idea that Sizemore can help them—i.e, an upgrade—now, and at third base. 

In 2009, Sizemore was the Tigers’ lone representative in the All-Star Futures Game and was named to Baseball America’s minor league All-Star team.

Since winning the starting job in 2010, Sizemore has struggled and been shifted back and forth between the major and minor leagues. 

For his career, he has a .223 BA, .306 OBP, and hit three HR and 18 RBI in just 65 games.  The small sample size is a reason for optimism.  In the minors, he has posted a career line of .296/.376/.446 in 454 games. 

The A’s move to acquire some organizational depth also speaks to their apprehension towards bringing up Triple-A infield prospects Adrian Cardenas and Jemile Weeks to fill their hole at 3B, while they are still fighting for the playoffs.

Also, Kouzmanoff has battled some injuries and may need a stint on the DL, if not an outright release. LaRoche makes the minimum salary and may be close to being cut loose.  Sizemore could also be insurance if the A’s are skeptical regarding Rosales’ return.

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What has been the strength of the Oakland A’s team—starting pitching—has been bitten by the injury bug once again.

Less than a week after announcing starting pitcher Dallas Braden will be out the rest of the season, the pitching depth of the A’s farm system will be tested with the loss of their fourth and fifth starters—Brandon McCarthy and Tyson Ross—to the 15-day DL. 

Ross left his last start on Wednesday with a strained oblique muscle, while the A’s announced out of nowhere that McCarthy has a problem with his right scapula, the same shoulder that has plagued McCarthy throughout his career.

The three pitchers added to the roster today (Trystan Magnuson was sent down as well)—Joey Devine, Jerry Blevins and Fautino De Los Santos—will all contribute out of the bullpen by sheer luck that the A’s top-three starters are scheduled to go this weekend against the Giants.

Come Monday, the A’s will need to add two starters to the rotation.

Stating the obvious, A’s assistant general manager David Forst told John Shea of The Chronicle on Thursday he doesn’t know that teams are willing to trade quality starting pitchers at this stage of the season.

In other words, the A’s have no choice but to look for internal options. 

Josh Outman, who battled for a starting gig in the spring, is the logical choice for one of these two temporary rotation spots, and almost certainly will get the call on Tuesday against the Angels. He is a left-hander who throws hard and posts a 3.77 ERA and1.29 WHIP in 16 career starts.  His undesirable numbers this spring and in AAA have been attributed to his lack of mechanics and consistency from missing so much time last year recovering from Tommy John surgery.

The other spot is less certain because there are no proven options in AAA Sacramento. 

Graham Godfrey, who was drafted in the 34th round by the Blue Jays in 2006 and acquired by the A’s in 2007 in the Marco Scutaro deal, has the best numbers among AAA starters.  In six starts, he has pitched 33 INN, posted a  2.41 ERA, 1.11 WHIP, 31 K and a .220 BAA.  

Guillermo Moscoso has posted good numbers also (40 INN, 43 K and .231 BAA) but is a career journeyman. 

Since these DL stints may not be for very long, the A’s may be content with promoting these non-prospects up to the big leagues, especially considering that much of the A’s better pitching prospects are not big league-ready. 

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