Oakland Athletics: Breaking Down the Top 5 Prospects in the A's Farm System

After years of poor performance, underwhelming results and a core that was going to start getting more expensive, Oakland A's general manager Billy Beane decided to blow up the whole thing and rebuild the franchise. 

The farm system was muddled in the middle of the pack prior to the offseason, but all the trades and signing of Yoenis Cespedes have made them significantly stronger and brought optimism back to the bay. 

Of course, where this team is playing by the time their top talent makes his big league debut remains unclear. Ownership wants a stadium in San Jose, but the San Francisco Giants don't want them to move. It's a mess right now. 

But those are off-field problems. We want to keep our focus on the field, so here is our in-depth look at the top prospects in the A's system right now. 

1. Jarrod Parker, RHP, 23

Parker was the top prospect in the Arizona Diamondbacks' system before a December trade sent him and two other players to Oakland in exchange for Trevor Cahill and Craig Breslow. His development stalled two years ago when he had Tommy John surgery, but he bounced back last season and even made his big league debut in September.

Strengths: The biggest problem that pitchers face when returning from Tommy John is getting the feel for their stuff and being able to command and control it. He started slowly, but eventually got back to being the player he was pre-surgery.

He has a four-seam fastball that sits in the mid-90s and a two-seamer that has great movement. He has a slow, easy delivery and great arm speed. His slider has a sharp break to it. He is still working on getting his changeup back, but he can throw it to keep hitters honest. 

Weaknesses: Obviously, you are always going to worry about him having more elbow problems. He was injury-free before the surgery, so that could have been a freak injury. Given the success rate of Tommy John, that could be the case. He did make great strides with his command and control, but he is not quite at the level he was in 2009. 

Report: His two-seamer is the great equalizer and could be the difference between him being an ace or a No. 2 starter. Either way, he has the stuff, presence on the mound and maturity to pitch at the top of a rotation. He should start the season in the big leagues. 

ETA: 2012

2. Michael Choice, OF, 22

Choice and Chris Carter were the two big bats in the A's system. Both have incredible power potential, but unlike Carter, Choice has made adjustments with his swing to make more contact and greatly increased his ceiling with a stellar performance in high Class A last season. 

Strengths: Choice's best tool is his prodigious power. He can hit the ball as far as anyone, a trait that will serve him well in Oakland's spacious ballpark, thanks to his incredible bat speed and uppercut swing. He has a patient approach the plate, showing the ability to draw walks. His throwing arm is strong enough to play in right field, where he is likely going to end up. 

Weaknesses: He does have problems making contact, as evidenced by the 134 strikeouts he had in 467 at-bats last season. He did improve a lot from 2010, when he punched out 45 times in 109 at-bats. He still has to clean up his swing to prove he can hit for a respectable average. He is a good athlete, but he does not have enough speed to stay in center field. 

Report: While Choice is never going to win a batting title, as long as he makes enough contact to hit around .250-.260 in the big leagues, he can be a star. His power is outstanding, and he should produce 30-35 homers regularly. He can handle himself defensively in right field. 

ETA: 2013

3. A.J. Cole, RHP, 20

One of the key pieces to the Gio Gonzalez trade, Cole's stock just keeps climbing. He is starting to grow into his 6'4" frame, and he made great strides with the velocity and command of his fastball. The breaking ball is coming along and will be a plus pitch when he gets a feel for it. 

Strengths: Cole has a dominant fastball that he throws in the low- to mid-90s and shows good command of the pitch already. He has a nice, easy, controlled delivery and the ball jumps out of his hand. His curveball has good potential, but he needs to throw it more often to get a feel for it. 

Weaknesses: His changeup tends to get lost in the shuffle since he doesn't need a third pitch in the lower levels of the minors. He tries to blow everyone away, which elevates his pitch count quickly. He doesn't have command of his offspeed pitches yet. 

Report: Cole has the upside of a No. 1 starter. He has the dominant fastball and sharp breaking ball to get there, he just needs to develop his changeup and command in order to get there. Depending on how he performs this season, Cole could make a push for the big leagues in 2013.

ETA: 2013

4. Yoenis Cespedes, OF, 26

The Cuban sensation surprised the world earlier this week by signing with Oakland. The A's gave him $36 million over four years and will likely end up starting him in the big leagues out of spring training. He is a viral superstar, but it remains to be seen just how he will transition to a significantly higher level of competition. 

Strengths: An incredible physical specimen, Cespedes' workout videos have been the talk of baseball for months. He has incredible bat speed and tremendous raw power. His outstanding throwing arm will easily play in right field if he can't handle center. He has good speed and can play in the middle of Oakland's huge outfield. On tape, he has all five tools. 

Weaknesses: All that we have on Cespedes is tape against Cuban competition, which is not even the equivalent of low Class A. He has not played a professional game, and he is being talked about as a potential superstar in the big leagues. His swing is great, but he wants to crush everything, which will lead to a lot of easy outs. Since he has never failed, we don't know if he can make adjustments. 

Report: This ranking might surprise some people, but he is already 26 years old and not yet a finished product. His upside and tools are huge, but we haven't seen how they play against high-level competition. 

ETA: 2012

5. Sonny Gray, RHP, 22

One of my personal favorites from last year's draft, Gray could have been a top 10 pick because of his fastball-curveball combination and advanced feel for pitching, but his size—Gray is just a shade under 6'0"—and concerns about his changeup allowed the A's to grab him with the 18th pick. 

Strengths: Gray already has two dominant pitches in his low-90s fastball that has good tailing action and a sharp curveball that falls off the table. He commands both pitches well already and isn't afraid to attack hitters. 

Weaknesses: He lacks a true third pitch. He has a changeup that shows potential, but he doesn't have a good feel for it yet. His size and delivery don't let him drive the ball down in the zone, which can lead to problems against better competition. 

Report: Given the movement on his fastball, knockout curveball and strong work ethic, if he can get his changeup to be an average offering, he can be a No. 2 or 3 starter in a good rotation. If the changeup doesn't come around, he will be a dominant late-inning reliever. 

ETA: 2013

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