Well the A's had trimmed their roster down to 27 yesterday, but we also got this news:
Joe Stiglich @joestiglich
Barton to begin season on 15-day DL. Assuming #Athletics don't carry a 5th starter right away, Allen and Ka'aihue could both make roster.
I imagine the A's will carry both of them, at least for the foreseeable future. The A's are still carrying six outfielders/DH's, and I honestly think they should (at least until a 5th starter is needed). I see different roles for Cespedes, Gomes, Smith, Crisp, Cowgill and Reddick; I think Cowgill is the one that has the most to prove, if he can get a chance in the next few weeks. Sogard and Donaldson have both made the team, joining Pennington and Weeks. With the two catchers, that's a total of 14 position players. The A's just might keep all 14, establish the starting 4 pitchers (likely McCarthy, Colon, Milone, and either Godfrey or Ross), and keep a bullpen of seven: Godfrey/Ross, Balfour, Blevins, Carignan, Cook, De Los Santos, Fuentes, and Noberto. One of them will have to go today, and it will likely be Godfrey or Ross; whoever is tagged the 5th starter will start in Triple-A until April 17th.
In addition, not that I wish ill on Andrew Bailey; I really like him, but I'm sure glad that he's not potentially missing the season under our watch. Seriously, between alarm clocks and shampoo bottles, it's a dangerous world out there for a pitcher. We have enough problems with Devine and Braden to need any more.
Today marks the very last exhibition game for the A's (and it can't come soon enough) before the season resumes on Friday night. The A's will not face Felix on Friday, but rather, Saturday, and they will see him again next Friday in Seattle, for the Mariners home opener. Seriously? Out of the nine games to open the season, the A's will face Felix Hernandez in three of them? How is that fair, MLB? We're just going to have to hit him.
Gametime 12:45PM. We'll have a thread open here.
