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The Oakland Athletics announced on Monday that they signed former Angels pitcher Joe Blanton to a minor league deal, assigning him to Triple-A Sacramento. For Blanton, who was originally drafted by the Athletics, the signing results in a homecoming as well as an opportunity to bounce back from a forgettable year with the Angels. But it’s also a quality addition on the part of Billy Beane and the A’s. 

The @Athletics have signed Joe Blanton to a minor league deal. He will join the River Cats starting rotation.

— River Cats (@RiverCats) March 31, 2014 

Sure, Blanton may not be a flashy acquisition that can replace injured ace Jarrod Parker, but considering the circumstances, he could certainly provide the Athletics with some good bang for their buck if brought up to their big league roster.

With the way things currently sit for the A’s, there is a very real possibility that Blanton could get called up sooner rather than later. As of Monday, Jesse Chavez, who has made just seven career starts over parts of nine seasons, was slated to be Oakland’s third starter—joining Sonny Gray, Scott Kazmir, Dan Straily and Tommy Milone in an injury-riddled rotation. Chavez has pitched well to this point in his two seasons with the Athletics, but in a very small sample size—meaning Bob Melvin could be quick to look elsewhere if Chavez struggles. 

Drew Pomeranz, currently one of two lefty relievers in Oakland’s bullpen, was originally drafted as a starter and would be more than capable of making a spot start if need be. But with Sean Doolittle as the only other lefty in the Athletics’ relief corps, Melvin may very well prefer to give Blanton the starting spot over Pomeranz if such a situation arose.

Many seem to think that Blanton’s career is essentially over, as he is coming off a career worst 6.08 ERA in 20 starts with the Angels last year. However, while it’s unlikely Blanton comes in and pitches 3.00 ERA-ball in Oakland, the Athletics’ spacious home ballpark and top-tier defense could definitely go a long way in helping Blanton return to form. If another Oakland starter goes down, don’t be surprised if Blanton’s name is called to slide into the rotation, and don’t have a funny look on your face if he’s putting up solid numbers again either.

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For Oakland A’s fans, the term “March Madness” reflects their team’s crazy spring training. One major player is out for the season and another isn’t hitting. But there is good news: A few guys you might not have expected to hit so well have been pleasant surprises.

Spring training is meant to answer a team’s questions.

Oakland’s did just that, but the answers weren’t exactly what anyone might’ve thought. The rotation looks completely different than many predicted, and injuries have altered Opening Day plans a tad too.

From surprises to disappointments to key injuries, the roster has been affected.

Surprises

Michael Taylor has been a bit of a surprise, though I wouldn’t say it’s 100 percent shocking to see him do well. Taylor has 16 hits in 21 games, including five doubles, one triple, three home runs, 10 RBI and a .320 average.

At this point, though, it would appear he is simply auditioning for a new home:

Billy Burns may have sneaked up on fans unfamiliar with his production in the Washington Nationals organization in 2013, and his fast feet. With a .291 average and nine stolen bases, fans are starting to pay attention:

Jesse Chavez and Stephen Vogt have been the last big surprises of the group. Their spring performances have been well documented after one week, and at the end of two weeks.

Lastly, prospects such as Addison Russell (.280) and Billy McKinney (.455) have impressed. Though they are top prospects after all, so that’s more of an expectation than a surprise.

Busts

No one expected to see Yoenis Cespedes at the bottom of the stat sheet. Yet, of all everyday players, he has the worst average at .140. And it’s not like he hasn’t had opportunities to work through it. His 43 at-bats are fourth most on the team.

Remember when Eric Sogard almost became the face of MLB?

A’s fans would like to see the competition’s runner-up hit better than .222 with three RBI. For being the face of the team, at least by fan vote, he’s been unrecognizable at the plate.

Looking at the starting rotation, it’s hard to pick out just one bust. The unit as a whole has not produced very well.

Would-be ace Jarrod Parker’s ERA eclipsed the 10.00 mark—10.61 to be exact. A.J. Griffin nearly matched that. Sonny Gray started OK, but finished with an ERA of 6.30. Dan Straily’s is near 5.00 (4.73), and sixth-option Tommy Milone got under 4.00, barely, at 3.86. Scott Kazmir didn’t allow any runs but only pitched in seven innings.

Injuries

You can’t judge the impact a spring training performance will have on the regular season. Cespedes could rebound in a huge way. Vogt may not continue hitting as well as he currently is when he goes against consistent, big league pitching.

Injuries, though, will definitely have an impact.

The most notable of course is Parker’s. Originally slated to be the Opening Day starter, Parker will now miss the entire 2014 season due to a second Tommy John surgery.

 He’s out, and Chavez is in. That’s not bad, right?

Add A.J. Griffin and Ryan Cook to the mix of hurt pitchers. According to the A’s injury report, Griffin is due back possibly in April. Cook, on the other hand, “feels awesome” (via Susan Slusser of The San Francisco Chronicle) after throwing to live batters on March 19. Parker and Griffin will certainly be missed. The A’s have enough quality depth in the pen to make it through a few days without Cook just fine, thankfully.

Lastly, Craig Gentry, the Athletics‘ fourth outfielder, has been cleared for baseball activities. If he isn’t ready by Opening Day, Sam Fuld is the likeliest candidate to fill his shoes until he’s ready.

What It All Means

The outfield will certainly be shaken up.

Coco Crisp, Josh Reddick and Cespedes are still the hands-down starters. If Gentry is healthy, he’s the final outfielder on the roster. If not him, then it’s Fuld. That means Taylor is gone and Burns reports to Sacramento. McKinney needs time even further down in the system.

That’s easy to handle; the rotation is of greater concern.

With Parker and Griffin out, the A’s now turn to a sixth and seventh options. Having that much depth is outstanding, but no one wants to lose their top guy, ever. Chavez had a nice spring, so hopefully he can carry it over. And Milone‘s production is fairly similar to Griffin’s, so there shouldn’t be much concern there.

But now there are more questions.

Can Gray pick up the slack? How effective will Kazmir be? Will Chavez’s spring carry over into the regular season? And who takes Chavez’s spot in the bullpen now? Heck, who takes Cook’s if he can’t make it?

One thing is for sure: The rotation envisioned in February is a whole lot different approaching April.

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When it comes to roster building, depth is only good until a team is forced to use it. For the Oakland Athletics, injuries to starting pitchers may dismantle a team that was ticketed for October baseball and championship aspirations.

According to John Hickey of Bay Area News Group, the Athletics could start the season with 60 percent of their projected starting rotation—Jarrod Parker, A.J. Griffin and Scott Kazmir—on the disabled list. 

When it comes to Parker, he won’t be there for the entire 2014 season. According to Jane Lee of MLB.com, the 25-year-old right-hander will undergo Tommy John surgery next Tuesday. This will be the second major arm surgery of Parker’s young career, leaving his future in doubt.

For his team, the immediate future is just as cloudy. Coming off back-to-back AL West titles, the Athletics had a busy offseason in preparation for a meaningful 2014 campaign and trip back to the postseason.

Now, those plans are on hold.

In the loaded AL West, the Athletics can’t afford to lose projected starting pitchers and still win the 90-95 games necessary to put themselves in true contention. Texas is too talented and teams like Los Angeles, Seattle and Houston all improved during the winter. On a day-to-day basis, wins will be harder than ever to achieve for this A’s team. 

Furthermore, the American League is loaded. Outside of Houston, Minnesota and Chicago, a case can be made for any team in the league competing for a postseason berth. In order to qualify for the AL postseason in 2014, luck is almost as important as talent.

With less than two full weeks until Opening Day, luck is alluding the Athletics.

Unlike the Braves recent acquisition of Ervin Santana, don’t expect Oakland general manager Billy Beane to scour the open market for a veteran to save his young, injured staff. Even if Santana was still available, this franchise would be more apt to solve problems internally. 

Yet, despite pitching depth in the organization—Drew Pomeranz, Jesse Chavez, Michael Ynoa, Phil Humber—it’s too much to ask manager Bob Melvin to replicate the production and talent of Jarrod Parker.  

When Bartolo Colon was allowed to bolt to New York in free agency, the message to Parker was loud and clear: It’s your rotation now.

That message came with good merit. Over the last two years—comprising Parker’s first two big league seasons—the young righty has been among the most consistent and effective starters in the entire sport. 

Over the span, only 25 starters have thrown at least 375 innings, pitched to an ERA of 3.75 or better and allowed less than 1.0 HR/9. The combination of durability, run-suppressing pitching and the ability to keep the ball in the ballpark is rare, even among high-quality arms.

In fact, the list of names below Parker is almost as impressive as the names above him, per Baseball-Reference (subscription required). Lance Lynn, Justin Masterson, Ricky Nolasco and Jon Lester all have put up ERA marks higher than Parker’s 3.73 over the last two seasons. 

To be fair, it’s easy to overreact in light of major spring training injuries to projected aces. The narrative in March often is flipped and reversed by the All-Star break. With time to reassess the roster, it’s possible, if not likely, that the A’s could overcome Parker’s injury.

Three years ago, the St. Louis Cardinals lost Adam Wainwright to Tommy John surgery. That October—with Wainwright rooting on an upstart wild card team from the dugout—the Cardinals won it all in Tony La Russa’s final season.

Of course, Parker’s the biggest name, but not the only name. 

With Griffin and Kazmir also banged up, the Athletics will need to find bulk innings from their pitching depth. Organizational depth is built for times like these, but losing three potential 200-inning arms is rare and costly.

In fact, when you consider that Kazmir was signed to effectively replace Colon’s production, the Athletics are about to enter a season with the tall task of re-allocating 587.1 innings from last year’s staff. 

Even with a deep bullpen—designed in part to ease the burden of innings from young, unproven arms—the A’s will be challenged to survive over the long haul.

In a perfect world, Oakland’s offense will soar to the top of league rankings in runs scored, pitchers like Jesse Chavez and Drew Pomeranz will surprise and Sonny Gray will take a leap from potential AL All-Star to Cy Young contender.

The blueprint for overcoming this type of setback was illustrated by the 2011 St. Louis Cardinals, but even that took a miraculous September run to capture a spot in the postseason tournament. 

With the American League poised to be a daily grind and as competitive as any year in recent memory, the A’s can’t survive 60 percent of their rotation being out for an extended period. It would be a fool’s errand to call a Billy Beane team hopeless, but the difference between watching the postseason at home and competing for a World Series is slim.

Jarrod Parker’s injury is likely a sign that it’s just not the year in Oakland.

Agree? Disagree?

Comment, follow me on Twitter or “like” my Facebook page to talk about all things baseball.

Statistics courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com and FanGraphs, unless otherwise noted. All contract figures courtesy of Cot’s Baseball Contracts. Roster projections courtesy of MLB Depth Charts.

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Oakland Athletics starting pitcher Jarrod Parker is scheduled to meet with Dr. James Andrews on Monday after experiencing tightness in his forearm.

The San Francisco Chronicle‘s Susan Slusser was the first to report:

Comcast SportsNet California’s Joe Stiglich also reports that Parker could possibly miss the start of the regular season this spring as a result:

Bob Melvin also noted that “certainly the start of the season is in jeopardy,” according to San Francisco Chronicle reporter Susan Slusser.

It remains to be seen how severe Parker’s injury is and whether it will sideline him for an extended period of time. But for now, the A’s will be hoping for the best possible news when the 25-year-old meets with doctors early next week.

Parker has gone 25-16 with a 3.73 ERA over the past two seasons with Oakland and has made three postseason starts for the A’s as well.

Through 9.1 innings pitched in spring training, Parker holds a 10.61 ERA and a WHIP of 1.61 to go along with eight strikeouts.

Nonetheless, Parker’s long-term prognosis will go a long way in determining whether the A’s repeat as American League West champions in 2014.

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Whether it’s Josh Reddick returning to form or Michael Taylor desperately trying to prove himself, the Oakland A’s are witnessing a variety of breakout performances that are making key decisions more difficult.

After one week of camp, four guys in particular were incredibly impressive. Now with more than two weeks worth of games under their stirrups, three of those four have continued to stay hot in Arizona while a handful of others have stirred things up.

What makes a breakout star? Well, one guy isn’t at all familiar to A’s fans. Three others are fighting for a job on the 25-man roster. Another once had a starting role, saw it vanish and now wants it back. And the other, well, he’s breaking out of a year-long slump, which was likely due to injury.

And heck, let’s rank ’em. Ranking is based purely on spring training performances. The best performance gets the No. 1 spot.

All statistics are courtesy of MLB.com.

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Begin Slideshow

The Oakland A’s have traveled to Arizona for another year of spring training camp. With returnees, new signings, freshly acquired players, prospects and a slew of non-roster invitees, it’s time to break down the A’s, position by position.

Most positions are all but locked up already but that doesn’t mean others are short on competition.

Spring training offers plenty of intrigues. Oakland has more than a few guys fighting for a roster spot. It also has a prospect or two looking to prove they’re worth the hype. There may even be a guy somewhere in camp that has the potential to pull off an upset of sorts, unseating a thought-to-be starter.

For this list, each slide will discuss a position, listing the players eligible and a short description of their likely outcome.

Begin Slideshow

Perhaps, the best thing about the Oakland A’s spring training from a fan’s perspective is watching to see who unexpectedly impresses.

In my spring training preview, I listed a few guys who could be the next breakout candidates, including Sonny Gray and Dan Otero. Specifically, I highlighted Josh Donaldson’s 2012 campaign in which he catapulted from third- or fourth-string catcher to starting third baseman. Then, in 2013, with much competition for second base, Eric Sogard came out victorious.

Let’s take another look.

Motivation played a large role in Donaldson and Sogard‘s cases. Each were “underdogs” if you will, fighting to be the hands-down starter.

So, for this article, well-known veterans who have been starters in the majors for years are thrown out. In fact, any guy whose spot is guaranteed next season doesn’t qualify, either. Lastly, any guy who it wouldn’t be surprising to see outhit or outpitch the rest is disqualified.

So, here’s who’s out: Coco Crisp, Yoenis Cespedes, Jed Lowrie, Josh Donaldson, Brandon Moss, Jarrod Parker, Scott Kazmir, Jim Johnson, Luke Gregerson, Sean Doolittle and Ryan Cook.

It wouldn’t surprise anyone to see the above men sit atop the stat sheets in spring training. It has to be someone who you don’t expect. For example, Sogard suddenly hit .444 last season in 26 games, the most of any Athletic.

So, the question is: who’s left?

Looking at who needs to make the jump and has the proper motivation to do so, here’s who looks ready to storm into spring training and raise your eyebrow.

Josh Reddick

Yes, he’s a starter. But would it surprise you to see Reddick hit over .400 in spring training?

Fans are down on the right fielder right now. After hitting .242 with 32 home runs and 85 RBI in 2012, Reddick slumped to .226 with 12 home runs and 56 RBI a season ago. To his credit, he dealt with a wrist injury that obviously hampered him.

But Reddick is healthy. He’s had successful wrist surgery and the chance to rest and recover.

And now he’s paid.

The A’s and Reddick avoided arbitration, settling on a one-year, $2.7 million deal for 2014. Health, putting arbitration behind him and wanting to rebound should be plenty of motivation to come into spring and blow things up.

Reddick has a history of doing well in spring. In 2012, he hit .304 in 15 games; he hit .294 in 20 games last year.

Having a huge March would solidify his role in right field as a permanent, 160-game starter and quiet his doubters. And that’s exactly what he’s ready to do, as he told John Hickey of the San Jose Mercury News: “…the wrist is fine, I feel healthy again and I’m ready to go out and try to be the player I was in 2012 and not 2013.”

Derek Norris

Norris is yet another “starter” who could see a breakout performance in 2014 spring training.

Here’s why it would be considered impressive: Norris is supposed to be the catcher of the future. But instead of letting him catch 130 games or so, the A’s continuously bring in other guys, such as John Jaso, Stephen Vogt and Kurt Suzuki for a second time. Now, Chris Gimenez has been added to the mix.

For Norris to make all three of those guys an afterthought and earn full-time duties—legit full-time duties, not 98 games full time—would be a breakout.

Here’s what happened last year: He hit .350 in 19 games, which included five home runs. He began the regular season hitting .283 in April, carrying over a great spring camp. But then he hit .164 and .160 in May and June, respectively.

Then, Norris started his breakout, via Jane Lee of MLB.com:

“One day, I told [hitting coach] Chili [Davis], ‘I’m going to do something that just feels different,'” Norris said. “So, I started a little leg kick thing, and before I knew it, I just felt more balanced and we went with it.”

He finished the season hitting .333 after the All-Star break.

If Norris heads into spring training with the new swing and continued success, there’s no doubt he can thrive in camp. And if that happens and he expands on last year’s .350 mark, he may finally be the hands-down, full-time catcher he’s been expected to be.

Nate Freiman

Donaldson forced the A’s to give him a shot at third base. Sogard earned the starting role at second base after a strong spring. What if 2014 saw Freiman solidify his worth on the diamond?

Consider his progression:

A (short): .294
A (full): .294
A (advanced): .288
Double-A: .298
MLB: .274

He makes a jump to the next level every year and responds.

But he faces steep competition in Brandon Moss. Let’s compare the two.

Both had averages near the mean in 2013, according to FanGraphs.com, but Freiman‘s ended 0.18 higher than Moss’. But Billy Beane is an on-base kind of guy, so that has to factor in. Both Freiman and Moss ended just about the same, with Moss’ 0.10 higher. Both men’s BABIP numbers are about the same, too (Moss .301; Freiman .306) .

Where they differ is in slugging percentage, walks and strikeouts.

Moss walks much more percentage-wise (9.9 percent to Freiman‘s 6.7 percent), while Freiman strikeouts much less (14.9 percent to Moss’ 27.7 percent). Moss has the advantage in slugging percentage straight up, though (.522 to .389).

Moss is 30 years old and only really has two quality years of production. So, if Freiman, three years his junior, can continue in an upward trend—starting with this year’s spring training—he could get the wheels turning on a decision regarding the near future of first base.

After all, one guy is making $4.1 million, and the other netted less than one million. If production is close, Moneyball says to take the cheaper guy.

Conclusion

There are plenty of candidates for breakout stars. Shane Peterson does well annually in spring training, is entering his prime and is out of options. It’s do-or-die time for Peterson. Tommy Milone needs a strong rebound this spring to find his way back into the starting rotation. Sogard may have to do it again now with competition from Nick Punto and Alberto Callaspo.

There’s a slew of guys fighting for the last spot in the rotation, including Drew Pomeranz, Josh Lindblom and Fernando Abad to name a few. Nothing motivates quite like fighting with a half a dozen others for one spot or putting an end to doubts whether you can be a long-term starter.

But the three guys listed above stand out above the rest.

Reddick needs this. He is clearly motivated to hush the doubters, prove he’s healthy and prove he’s worth the $3.2 million he requested in arbitration.

Norris came up so heavily touted that the A’s were quick to ditch Suzuki, who had called pitches for A’s hurlers for five-and-a-half seasons. That hasn’t panned out yet. Unless he wants to be considered a bust, he’ll need to break out soon.

Lastly, Freiman is in an upward trend already.

If he’s taken notes from Daric Barton’s career (or Brandon Allen, Kila Ka’aihue or Chris Carter), you don’t get too many chances to become and remain the starting first baseman for the Oakland Athletics. You can argue it’s now or never to force the team to consider him.

For how much this team appears to be set heading into spring training, a lot could change due to strong performances.

Who’s your breakout candidate? Hit me up in the comments below and let’s chat about it on Twitter.

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Oakland Athletics first baseman Brandon Moss is literally the big elephant in the room.

In his breakthrough season in 2013, Moss ranked among Major League Baseball’s best in every power category there is, forcing us to query as to whether or not he is a one-year wonder. If he does show us a significant decline in statistical production in 2014, it will be one of the greatest year-to-year wanes we have seen for some time.

There are plenty of reasons to be skeptical of Moss’ production at the plate. The 30-year-old slugger amassed more than 500 plate appearances for the first time in his career last season. In the three seasons before, he accumulated just 329. Additionally, he has just 66 career home runs. That means he hit nearly half of his career total in 2013 alone (30).

On the other hand, Moss is looking more like a late-bloomer and is showing no signs of slowing down. 2013 was the first season where he was able to earn a full slate of at-bats. Moss took advantage of the opportunity and never looked back. To the surprise of many, signs of a power breakthrough began in 2012.

While I’m not suggesting he is the hitting version of Dazzy Vance, whose Hall of Fame career began after age 30, all indicators fail to show any significant regression for the Oakland first baseman.

The story begins in 2012. A year after playing primarily in the minors for the Philadelphia Phillies, Moss landed in Oakland via a minor league contract. Two months into the season, he was called upon from Triple-A Sacramento. In 84 games that season, Moss would rake for 21 HR, 52 runs batted in and a batting average of .291. Not bad for a platoon player at first base.

Moss’ intriguing 2012 production came in just 296 plate appearances. His walk percentage (BB/PA) rested at 8.8 percent but more damning was his strikeout percentage (K/PA). At 30.4 percent, Moss’ strikeout rate, had it been eligible to qualify among all MLB hitters, would have been the fourth-highest K/PA rate in MLB. The qualifying hitters (minimum 502 PA) who struck out at a higher rate were Adam Dunn, Pedro Alvarez and Drew Stubbs.

Swings and misses often come packaged with power production. The 10 players with the highest strikeout rate in 2012 averaged 26.4 HR individually. In 2013, the 10 players with the highest K/PA rate averaged 30.6 HR individually. 

Because of the appetizer-sized sample the year before, many expected regression in 2013. Moss did regress slightly but his overall power production increased significantly, culminating in a two-year turnaround unlike any in baseball.

As the everyday first baseman, Moss finished tied for the 11th-most home runs in MLB, alongside Adrian Beltre, David Ortiz and Jay Bruce. He also decreased his strikeout rate while upping his walk rate to a more satisfactory 9.9 percent. While Moss’ average dipped to a level more in line with a power hitter, his fly-ball percentage (the number of fly balls per batted balls in play) increased 6 percent.

Additionally, his line-drive rate dropped nearly 3 percent, showing he was hitting the ball with more pop and distance than the year before.

What does this all mean? Barring any significant injury or catastrophic collapse, Moss proved he is one of MLB’s better power hitters when provided the opportunity. While his average and batting average on balls in play (BABIP) contracted, Moss improved elsewhere to prove his power is here to stay.

The decline in his AVG and BABIP is not necessarily concerning as they retreated to a more league-average level for a hitter of Moss’ pedigree. Small sample sizes, like his 2012, can do that to a player.

And just think, half of his AB came in the pitcher-friendly confines of the O.co Coliseum. More commonly known as the Oakland Coliseum, the A’s home ballpark typically ranks as one of the worst for power hitters in MLB. According to ESPN’s ballpark factors, O.co Coliseum ranked 25th out of 30 ballparks in HR allowed.

With no signs of slowing down, it’s a wonder that Moss was designated for assignment by the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2010. Even more remarkable, Moss was able to gain just six AB for the Phillies in 2011 after playing nearly the entire season in the minor leagues.

Then again, baseball players don’t typically emerge as significant power hitters as they encroach on the age of 30. Moss’ last two seasons and forward projections highlight the importance of perseverance. Not only has he done the impossible over the course of the last two seasons, he is doing it well, placing him among the elite power hitters in baseball.

Unless noted otherwise, all statistics provided courtesy of FanGraphs.

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T-minus four days until Oakland A’s pitchers report for spring training. Five days after that, the rest of the squad officially opens camp in Phoenix, Arizona. Baseball is upon us.

The 2014 Oakland A’s will look familiar.

Four-fifths of the rotation is the same. There are no new faces in the starting lineup. The bullpen and bench saw the most turnover.

Spring training is always entertaining.

It’s a time when we as fans and writers see how well guys have rebounded from offseason surgeries and lingering injuries. Prospects have a chance to shine. Others hope to earn a spot on the 25-man roster. And there always seems to be that one guy who, even though we know him already, has a monster spring.

So who’s gone? Who’s new? Which prospects are worth watching? Who’s returning from injury?

We’ll take a look at all of these questions, as well as everything else—from the projected lineup to position battles; from the coaching staff to a complete offseason recap.

Begin Slideshow

As Major League Baseball’s arbitration deadline passed January 17th, the Oakland A’s locked up all of their eligible players except one: Josh Reddick. What happens next is anyone’s guess.

There aren’t too many options, though.

The two teams can work out an agreement before they head to arbitration court in February. If they can’t, then an arbitration panel will choose Reddick’s desired salary, or the Athletics‘ proposed salary.

A’s beat writer John Hickey of the Bay Area News Group provides the salary exchange:

If the two sides meet exactly in the middle, then Reddick will receive $2.625 million in 2014.

Since arriving on the big league scene in 2009, Reddick has played a full season just once. He’s also only hit above .250 just one time as well, and that was in 87 games with the Boston Red Sox in 2011. Looking at the two seasons he’s played in Oakland, he averages 135 games and a .236 batting average. But when he’s healthy and hitting, he brings quite a bit of power to the lineup.

But that’s just offensive contributions.

Reddick has provided a ton of highlight-worthy plays in the last two seasons. It was in his first year with the A’s that he won a Gold Glove, lest we forget.

So what do you pay a guy who plays phenomenal defense but hasn’t hit particularly well outside of one season?

Looking at his Baseball-Reference.com page, Reddick compares closely to guys like John Mayberry Jr., Brennan Boesch, Logan Morrison and Domonic Brown.

Mayberry avoided arbitration this year by signing a one-year, $1.5875 million contract. Boesch signed a $2.3 million deal. Morrison heads to arbitration as well, seeking $2.5 million according to Greg Johns of MLB.com.

Based on that, it’s difficult to see Reddick winning his desired $3.25 million deal.

Then again, none of those guys have a Gold Glove. However, Boesch was in the running for Rookie of the Year in his first season, and Brown was an All-Star in 2013.

Here, the middle ground ($2.625 million) actually makes perfect sense.

Oakland A’s blogger Chris Kusiolek tweeted that the two parties were to reach an agreement shortly after deadline day:

That didn’t come to fruition as of Jan. 19, but if there are murmurs already, the chances this deal is done before the case makes its way to arbitration are high. It’s been quite some time since the A’s and a player went before the arbitration panel.

Fans, meanwhile, seem to be in agreement with Oakland.

To be fair, the player does have his supporters:

Of the two options presented, Oakland’s right fielder is more likely to be overpaid than underpaid, so the $3.25 million is more plausible than $2 million. But that’s if it even gets to that point, which it shouldn’t.

Josh Reddick will make $2.625 million in 2014.

If the number deviates, it will be upward, not downward, but it won’t go higher than $3 million. That you can take to the bank.

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