Let's talk some playoff rosters!!

by Emmett89 on Sep 27, 2006 3:52 PM PDT Comment 19 comments

All right here goes, now that the playoffs are firmly in hand, let's see who I, you, we would choose to send to the ALDS.

Okay.

Catcher:
1.Jason Kendall
2.Adam Melhuse

Obvious. Melhuse and Perez have about the same chance as playing.

1st Basemen/DH
3.Nick Swisher
4.Frank Thomas

Pretty simple.

2nd Basemen
5.Mark Ellis

Hoping for some of that 2002 playoff magic.

3rd Basemen
6.Eric Chavez

Hoping for some of that...2001 July Magic?

Shortstops
7.Marco Scutaro
8.Antonio Perez

I'd like Crosby to be healthy, but I've given up hope on that one.

Outfielders
9.Milton Bradley
10.Mark Kotsay
11.Jay Payton
12.Bobby Kielty

In game 7 of the world series, the A's face Tom Glavine. Would Macha start Kiely over Kotsay? As much as I love Ronnie Mac, I sure hope not.

Pitchers
13.Barry Zito
14.Danny Haren
15.Rich Harden
16.Esteban Loaiza
17.Joe Blanton
18.Kiko Calero
19.Chad Gaudin
20.Justin Duchscherer
21.Huston Street
22.Kirk Saarloos
23.Joe Kennedy

I like our bullpen a lot. Especially if Street was a set up guy, and the Duke was the closer.

Wildcards:
Dan Johnson
D'Angelo Jimenez
Brad Halsey
Jay Witasick
Ron Flores

Tough to pick these last 2. I'll take 24. Johnson just because I like him at 1st more than Kotsay in an emergency that Swisher has to leave 1st, due to being injured or have to move to the outfield.

25. Ron Flores, yeah, I hope they take him over Halsey. But some of that has to do with me not trusting Halsey at all, and him letting up that homer to Bonds. With Gaudin and Saarloos, the A's don't really need another long man. And it allows him to be the situational lefty, and make Kennedy a set up man.

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I think DJ will be on there

Just so we have a power bat on the bench. I don't think we can afford to carry 12 pitchers, because there is a very real possibility that Chavy could go down during a series. Thus, I would expect to see D'Angelo Jimenez.

I think there's an argument to be made for carrying Flores instead of Saarloos, for more righty/lefty balance, but doubt the A's would do something that would be so unpopular in the clubhouse. I prefer Flores to Halsey as you do (although I seriously doubt the A's do).

"The first night, we were right there," Bradley said. "All we needed was a couple of touchdowns, and we would have had them."

by jeepers on Sep 27, 2006 4:14 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Seems reasonable

Can't argue with the first 23 you list. If things go well I wouldn't expect Blanton to be used at all, but he needs to be there as Harden insurance.

For the remaining two spots:
I think Witasick and Flores are out. Neither has pitched particularly well (although Flores' ERA looks good), nor have they pitched in any important situations.
I'd definitely give one spot to DJ, who is potentially useful as a left-handed pinch-hitter.
So the last spot is a toss-up between Halsey (2nd left specialist) and Jimenez (2nd utility infielder). We shouldn't really need either one, but I'd expect Macha to prefer Halsey.

One nice bonus from having already clinched is that, in addition to getting the regulars some much-needed time off, the team can give some ABs to the fringe players. It would be nice if at least one of Perez, Johnson, or Jimenez could get a few hits off of major-league pitching this week.

Some are sabermetricians.

by andeux on Sep 27, 2006 4:16 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Flores

Come to think of it, I don't think Flores is eligible for the post-season. He wasn't on the 25-man roster on September 1, and the A's don't have any pitchers on the major league DL who he could replace.

Some are sabermetricians.

by andeux on Sep 27, 2006 4:25 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Good point.

"The first night, we were right there," Bradley said. "All we needed was a couple of touchdowns, and we would have had them."

by jeepers on Sep 27, 2006 4:26 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Playoff Roster will be

C1 Kendall
1B Swisher
2B Ellis
3B Chavez
SS Scutaro
LF Payton
CF Kotsay
RF Bradley
DH Thomas

C2 Melhuse
3B Perez
IF Jimenez (for Crosby)
OF Kielty

SP Zito
SP Haren
SP Harden (for Witasick)
SP Loaiza

RP Street (for Sauerbeck)
RP Duchscherer
RP Calero
RP Gaudin
RP Kennedy
SP Blanton
SP Saarloos
SP Halsey

This was pretty much all detirmined when the 40 man roster was set. Jimenez was sent down to make Johnson available for the Post Season Roster, while Harden and Street were on the DL. Crosby's injury now makes it so that Jimenez will replace him on the roster.

by Zonis on Sep 27, 2006 4:37 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

I think you're right

for the most part. I don't know if they will carry 8 bullpen arms, though. They might leave Blanton, Saarloos, or Halsey off the roster instead, and take DJ. That's about it.

Am I correct in remembering you get to reset your roster between each series? If the A's get to the World Series (or to a lesser extent, the ALCS), they could use another pinch-hitter a lot more than they could use a bullpen arm. Your roster might make the most sense for 5 games in 6 days, while the DJ roster might make more sense for 7 in 9.

"The first night, we were right there," Bradley said. "All we needed was a couple of touchdowns, and we would have had them."

by jeepers on Sep 27, 2006 6:26 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Bocachica for Perez...

Come on, he's got more talent and great UTIL when you need it.

"I see Milton Bradley being the Oaktown player that breaks out this year." breaks out... breaks out of where? jail?

by gdub171 on Sep 27, 2006 9:29 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

chicachica

I don't think he's elgibile is he?

by Emmett89 on Sep 27, 2006 9:39 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Correct

Wasn't on the active roster by 9/1.

"The first night, we were right there," Bradley said. "All we needed was a couple of touchdowns, and we would have had them."

by jeepers on Sep 28, 2006 7:08 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

If Crosby is going to be ready for the ALDS

shouldn't he be on the playoff roster? Saarloos could be expendable since Blanton shouldn't be starting and we could keep Jimenez in case Crosby doesn't make it back.

The chance of having Crosby play SS again in the ALDS definately seems more valuable than the handful of innings Saarloos will pitch

by fadedash on Sep 27, 2006 4:49 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Power arm

I like the idea of Witasick in the pen better than Halsey just because we have few pitchers who bring the heat, and Jay can do that. In the last 30 days, 2.79 era with 9 K's in 9.2.

by sslinger on Sep 27, 2006 5:06 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

All in mop-up duty

"Their batters are patient to the point that it's annoying." -Ryan Franklin, Seattle Mariners

by Helloooo 1st on Sep 27, 2006 5:12 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Flores

I think andeaux is correct about his eligibility. It's unfortunate because he's been much more effective than Halsey or Sauerbeck recently. It's not just his ERA that looks good. His WHIP is better than anyone other than Duke, Street, Harden, and Haren. And although Macha has complained about him as a situational lefty, he has nearly 13 K's/9 IP against them. His WHIP vs. lefties (1.70) isn't great, but it's better than Halsey's (1.81). And I'm betting Halsey would look even worse if you only considered the past couple of months.

by boilerdan on Sep 27, 2006 5:21 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Why would Saarloos be on the roster

What value could he possibly have once Blanton isn't starting?

by RLangford on Sep 27, 2006 6:39 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

I like him out of the bullpen

when he can throw his sinker as a swing-and-miss or DP pitch (last night notwithstanding). Plus he deserves it for what he's done for the A's the last two years.

I don't think Halsey helps that much.

"The first night, we were right there," Bradley said. "All we needed was a couple of touchdowns, and we would have had them."

by jeepers on Sep 27, 2006 7:02 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs