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I've actually lost an hour. Seriously, I cannot find it anywhere. I've also lost my pants, but that seems to happen more often to me. But a whole hour? OK now I'm losing my temper.
For those who say spring training performance and stats don't matter, don't kid yourself. Shane Peterson, he of the 15/31 (.484) spring, won't make the Opening Day roster but you had better believe he is getting the A's attention and moving up the depth chart as the big league coaches have a chance to see him.
Roster moves, and depth chart considerations, can have a domino effect. If the A's believe Peterson will transition well to 1B (he will play there a bit, be it in warmups or games, later in the spring), Oakland could decide they have a backup plan for 1B without Daric Barton and could be more comfortable cutting ties with Barton. Certainly, you have to think Peterson is solidly ahead of Michael "If I'm going to hit the second pitch, I'd better start swinging at the first pitch" Taylor should the A's need to dip into AAA for an OFer at some point.
Every spring there's one guy who opens eyes, be it to steal a spot on the Opening Day roster (see Buck, Travis and Street, Huston) or to be heard from later (see Moss, Brandon). Sometimes it's just a mirage, also referred to as a Linden. Often, though, it's a chance for a lesser known player to showcase his skills or development at just the right time.
Peterson is not in the lineup today, however, as the A's take on the Diamondbacks and their #2 hitter, Cliff Pennington. Brett Anderson gets the start against a guy who sounds like he should be the lead singer in a heavy metal band: Tyler Skaggs. A former 1st round pick of the Dodgers, the lefty Skaggs is a bright prospect for Arizona, who shipped away their other fine young SP, Trevor Bauer, in a 3-way deal with Cleveland and Cincinnati.
No Yoenis Cespedes today -- he was scheduled for a day off anyway and is eagerly awaiting the arrival of his family to Miami this afternoon. This opens the door for Michael Choice to get a start in LF. The lineups:
