A's Sign Rajai Davis, Demote Saarloos

A’s are obviously hoping to bring Saarloos back into fold—so they wouldn’t otherwise affect the 40 man roster. As I posted before they have about 15 or so major league arms and one of the strategies this year will be to employ them at appropriate times and manage the obvious injury toll—witness Harden and Duke and now Foulke.

Harden is throwing a simulated game on Saturday.

As to the position players, the fungability of the pitching staff does give the team the option of going with 11 pitchers (the Brewers have gone in the other direction with 13 and, for a while, 14 pitchers at the big league level!!) for a period of time. 14 position players can be:

2 catchers
Sweeney
4 starting infielders
Murphy

and then 6 more bodies, currently named Cust, Brown, Buck, Denorfia, R Sweeney and Davis. They have more in-game flexibility to use Mike Sweeney and Jack Cust in platoon or pinch-hitting situations since Davis can then come in to play defense. If Buck’s shin splints don’t improve, then DL him.

What would Thomas do to all this? I can’t see Mike Sweeney remaining unless Jack Cust keeps hitting under the Mendoza line. But depending on how the options work it may be that they buy time by putting Buck on the shelf or demoting either him or Denorfia and forestall a decision about Sweeney, who they obviously like for lots of other reasons. If and when Gonzalez is ready then clearly Davis and possibly Denorfia becomes a luxury

Did Davis not have any options? Isn’t he pretty young?

So since we claimed him off of waivers, he has to stay on the 25-man roster the whole year?

Sounds like a bit of risk and a potentially wasted roster spot, but he does have some upside.