Re: MLB 2018.2: Postseason, Free Agency, and Awards
Looking at the A's...catcher Chris Herrmann will have knee surgery apparently. Probably means Nick Hundley makes the team out of camp out of necessity if nothing else, since I think Sean Murphy's bat could still use some work in AAA despite his good defense and our only other catcher is Josh Phegley.
The big question for the A's in ST is the rotation battle, with Manaea and Cotton probably. Fiers and Estrada are locks, Brett Anderson should probably be in there too...then a hodgepodge of guys battling for the last two spots. Daniel Mengden and Frankie Montas are out of options, as is Aaron Brooks (who would probably go unclaimed); Chris Bassitt and Paul Blackburn aren't. And then of course you throw in a wild card in the #1 LHP prospect in baseball in Jesus Luzardo who has looked pretty good in spring. If it were up to me, I'd keep Montas and Luzardo, with Bassitt first man up from Vegas (that slow curve is a thing of beauty). Mengden hasn't been that great and Blackburn/Brooks have been streaky.
Less than two weeks to opening day in Japan.