FanPost

Where's the RH Stick? Rocco?

 

I like signing Giambi, I think he'll be effective and cheap. But...

now this team is practically falling through the left side of the plate. Of the 1 - 6 hitters, only Holliday is on the right (Sweeney, Cust, Chavez, Giambi, Buck). The other righties, Ellis, Suz, and Croz, are 7-8-9 hitter material, and if you move them up in the order they're still nothing to strike fear into a LH starter. (This is another reason that Furcal would have really helped).

Cust, Chavez, and Barton are the only returning players with an OPS over .700 against LH, but I only believe Cust's numbers. Chavez had only 24 AB against LH. And Barton...

Barton had, well I don't know what to say about Barton. 128 AB isn't the largest sample size, but it is a typical amount for a full season. He DID hit LH much better than RH. I can't find his minor league splits to see if it that's a pattern. Maybe he's a RH hitter in a LH hitter's body. Can't he get a transbatter operation to fix that?). Still, I don't think the plan is to put platoon Buck/Barton, with Cust moving from DH to OF. (but if it does happen, remember that you heard it here first!).

Looking for a RH hitter, I keep coming back to Rocco. He's the A's retread gamble of the year, only he's 100 years younger than our last few tries. Word has it that he's cheap, he has a ton of potential, and he brings a RH bat to the team.

Sure we're flooded with OF, but I don't think any of those guys have the potential that Rocco does. Platoon him with Buck (unless one of them takes over), let Barton work on his SS skills at AAA (I can dream, right?), and still have cash to get one more SP for 2009.