This story was excerpted from Martín Gallegos' Athletics Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.
Coming off a second consecutive 100-loss season in year two of a rebuild, the A’s head into 2024 looking to take a big step forward.
Making that improvement requires addressing club needs. The A’s entered the offseason looking to add experience to a young starting rotation that struggled to find consistency last season. Earlier this month, they acquired a pair of veteran starters who fit that mold in Alex Wood and Ross Stripling.
While the pitching figures to be improved, the A’s will need better production across the board if they truly want to compete in a tough American League West.
With pitchers and catchers holding their first workout on Wednesday, here are three Spring Training storylines to watch for the A’s:
Who will the A’s decide on as their fifth starter?
Four of the five rotation spots appear to be locked down after the A’s signed Wood and traded for Stripling. Those two will join Paul Blackburn and JP Sears among the top four slots.
Who gets the fifth and final spot? That will likely come down to a Spring Training competition that will feature several intriguing options, including right-handers Joe Boyle, Luis Medina, Joey Estes, Mitch Spence, Freddy Tarnok and Adrián Martínez.
How will the A’s handle center field?
Esteury Ruiz earned the starting job in center field as a rookie last season, and he utilized his blazing speed to set a new AL rookie record with 67 stolen bases. But as the year went along, his playing time began to decrease.
From Opening Day on March 30 through July 5, Ruiz started 81 of Oakland’s first 88 games in center field and regularly found himself in the leadoff spot until a right shoulder injury landed him on the injured list. Following his return on Aug. 5, Ruiz started just 31 of his final 47 games played. Most of those starts came against left-handed pitchers and saw him batting at the bottom of the order.
Regaining the center-field job will be no easy task. As the roster currently stands, the A’s outfield mix includes Lawrence Butler, JJ Bleday, Seth Brown, Miguel Andujar and 2023 All-Star Brent Rooker, who split time between left field and designated hitter.
What role awaits Tyler Soderstrom?
Receiving the call to the Majors in July as a 21-year-old, Soderstrom -- Oakland’s No. 1 prospect at the time -- was unable to carry over his massive Minor League success. The catcher/first baseman appeared in 45 games, hitting just .160 with a .472 OPS, three home runs and 43 strikeouts in 138 plate appearances.
While the numbers were underwhelming in that small sample size, the A’s remain confident that Soderstrom will soon emerge into the special talent he has long been projected to be. But with Shea Langeliers entrenched as Oakland’s starting catcher and Ryan Noda manning first base on an everyday basis, the A’s will have to decide whether they can find Soderstrom more than a part-time role in the big leagues or if he’s better off starting the regular season by playing every day at Triple-A Las Vegas.