The Oakland Athletics have quite a quandary on their hands in the 2014 season. They have three quality outfielders and a fourth one who is a left handed hitter off of the bench, and now they have 23-year-old Michael Choice ready to break through to the major league roster. If Choice continues to prove his worth come spring training they will have a serious decision on their hands, what to do with Choice.
At a glance, the decision is simple, where Chris Young failed as the right handed outfielder off of the bench and designated hitter Choice could have the opportunity to succeed. In the 2012 offseason the A’s acquired Young in hopes of filling the hole left by Jonny Gomes with a younger and more athletic player. That experiment failed, but yet the A’s still managed to win the A.L. West so it is plausible that the A’s would do the same thing this year with the even younger and more athletics Choice.
What happens, though, if Choice does what he’s done at every level and dominate? Then, the A’s will have quite a decision on their hands. Will they play the young kid at DH? Probably not, because the A’s have shown in the past that they would rather younger players play both sides of the ball than spend most of their time as a hitter only, I.E. their handling of Chris Carter. Will they put superstar Yoenis Cespedes into the primary DH spot? Probably not, especially when you look at the fact that Cespedes numbers are far superior when he is playing in the field.
If those two options are out of the question then there is only one option left, someone in the outfield has to go. If an outfielder has to go it will have to be via the trade, and since Cespedes has established himself as a cornerstone of the franchise and still has two years left on his contract that leaves free agent to be Coco Crisp and the former Gold Glover who may be on the edge of falling out of favor Josh Reddick.
A trade of Crisp isn’t likely unless Choice really knocks the ball around, but could happen seeing as Crisp’s clubhouse leadership has become something that teams are starting to covet. Add the fact that he is coming off of a career year and he could be a valuable trade chip at the 2014 trade deadline if he is made expendable. The only question is would the A’s be willing to lose that clubhouse leadership that Crisp brings to the table and, after the debacle of trading Mark Ellis because of the emergence of Jemile Weeks, would they be willing to possibly make the same mistake twice.
That brings into question if the A’s would be willing to trade Reddick if he continues to struggle after a 2013 season that did not live up to the lofty expectations of his breakout 2012 season. While someone like Reddick, who brings Gold Glove caliber defense and surprising power, could draw a lot of interest from teams who play in hitter friendly parks it isn’t likely that the A’s would give up on the 26-year-old who doesn’t become a free agent until 2017.
Neither option seems like it is likely, but with Billy Beane you never know what he’ll do, but both depend on Choice breaking out and be the star the A’s expect him to be. For now, expect him to get the opportunity to win a spot on the big league roster in spring training and start the year as the right handed outfielder off the bench with a chance to make some noise. Even if he doesn’t live up to the hype in the 2014 season, with the type of talent he’s shown in his minor league career the A’s are going to have a tough decision to make sooner or later.