Weekdays at Bernie's, 3/18/16: All A's at FanGraphs

Welcome back to Weekdays at Bernie's! It's the best dance in the game, so let's get rolling once more!

• Dan Farnsworth of FanGraphs evaluated the A's top prospects on Thursday. The article is thorough and definitely worth the read. Farnsworth has some opinions that certainly differ from other prospect analysts (for example, he ranks middle infielder Chad Pinder second in the system). Also on FanGraphs, Jeff Sullivan tackles one of the most enigmatic pitchers in the game - A's southpaw Rich Hill. This article provides some optimism despite Hill's disappointing spring.

• After jumping out to an early 9-3 lead against lefty James Paxton and the Seattle Mariners, a pair of non-roster relievers (Eduard Santos and Ryan Brasier) combined to give up eight runs (six earned) in the top of the ninth, forcing the A's to settle for an 11-11 tie. Jed Lowrie and Josh Reddick each collected a pair of hits, while Danny Valencia hit a two-run homer to start the scoring. For more on this game, check out kyrbyr's excellent recap and Alex's eyeball scout report.

• Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle highlights a trio of interesting A's pitchers in her latest column. Be sure to give it a read, as each could have a significant impact on the 2016 team.

• Veteran right-hander Bronson Arroyo has torn his rotator cuff, per Mark Zuckerman of MASN Sports. Things don't look good for the righty, who was attempting to return fro Tommy John surgery on a minor league deal with the Washington Nationals. Arroyo was one of the game's most durable and consistent starters from 2004-2013, throwing at least 178.2 innings each season. Arroyo is known as a great clubhouse guy, and if this is the end for him, then the game will surely miss him.

The Best Shape of My Life

• Former Oakland disappointment of the century legend Daric Barton is joining the Pericos de Puebla of the LMB. Good luck, Pericos. (link)

• Jon Heyman is the best.

Some crook got ahold of my credit card... and used it at arby's! (well, can't blame em for that)

— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) March 18, 2016

That's all for today. Jesse Hahn and the A's will take on Josh Tomlin and the Cleveland Indians at 1:05 P.M. PST. Feel free to dump any links in the comments below. Until next time - lean on, A's fans!