5 Oakland A's Prospects You Are Sure to See Soon

After clawing their way back to .500 with a 13th inning win over the Seattle Mariners last night, it appears as though the A's may not go down so quietly as the season progresses through summer.  However, still having to go up against Texas and Los Angeles, actually securing a playoff spot is still somewhat of a stretch.

It'll be interesting to see what exactly the A's do come the trade deadline.  Already names like Bartolo Colon, Coco Crisp, and even Brandon McCarthy have been mentioned as trade possibilities, so if any one of these players were to be moved that means a prospect would likely take his spot on the roster.

So far the young players have performed surprisingly well when called upon. A.J. Griffin and Chris Carter have both been revelations this past week, leading the A's to multiple wins.  If the A's are busy at the deadline, expect them to be joined by others who once were teammates while at Triple-A Sacramento.

Here are five players who should find themselves in Oakland soon.

Miles Head

Though just reaching Double-A Midland, Head possesses one of Oakland's most advanced minor league bats.  The prototypical odd-shaped A's prospect, Head is a machine when up at the plate.

Hitting .382 prior to being promoted to Midland, Head figures to be a quick climber within Oakland's system.  Made even easier by the seemingly gaping hole at first, Head's eventual promotion to the big leagues should in no way be blocked next year when he's sure to be called up.  He'll just have to shore up his defense a bit before any promotion is in line.

Pedro Figueroa

Already having tasted the big leagues, it's only a matter of time until Figueroa is once again being called out of the Oakland pen.  Appearing in nine games this year for the A's, Figueroa more than held his own, posting a 1.50 ERA in 12 innings.

The A's also just designated Brian Fuentes for assignment which means another lefty in the bullpen could be needed at some point this season.  If that is the case, expect Figueroa to get the call from Sacramento.

Brad Peacock

Just going through a horrible season in Sacramento, the change in organizations hasn't been so kind to Peacock.  Currently sporting a 7.12 ERA, Peacock has not been the player the A's thought they were getting when they traded away current 12-game winner Gio Gonzalez.

There is time for Peacock to straighten things out, however.  Still only 23 and still in command of three plus-pitches, a late September start in Oakland would not be out of the question if Peacock is able to regain his 2011 form.  The A's know where they stand with Peacock, still regarding him as one of their premier prospects. He just has to start performing like it again. 

Grant Green

After a pedestrian 2011 campaign last season, Green is once again proving why the A's made him a first round pick in the 2009 draft.  Ironically, the A's moved Green from shortstop to the outfield in an attempt to get his bat to the big leagues quicker, but if he had just been able to perform at short he may already find himself in Oakland.

Lacking the arm required for the middle infield spot, Green now finds himself playing various positions on any given night, including each outfield spot and even time at third now.  Hitting the ball extremely well at Triple-A Sacramento, it shouldn't be long before the A's find a spot for Green in their outfield.  

The only problem is once he's called up the A's would want him in Oakland for presumably the rest of his career, not wanting him bouncing around between the minors and majors like Chris Carter has.  With Yoenis Cespedes and Josh Reddick manning two outfield spots, the A's have some decisions to make when eventually finding a place for Green in Oakland. 

Daniel Straily

Quite the pleasant surprise this year, Straily may now be considered the top A's pitching prospect after the recent promotion of A.J. Griffin.  After absolutely mowing down hitters in Midland, Straily is now pitching in Sacramento after never advancing mid-year before in his career.

Performing even better in Triple-A, Straily has an ERA barely north of 1.00 in four starts there.  Though not possessing any one overpowering pitch, Straily has emerged as the A's best swing and miss minor league pitcher, leading the Texas League in K's before his promotion.

Assuming at least one starter is moved at the deadline, expect to see Straily get the first call and enter the A's rotation sometime later this year.