Final Prediction for Oakland A's Key Spring Training Position Battles

With a little over two weeks remaining in spring training, it's becoming clearer by the game who will win each of the Oakland Athletics' position battles.

Of course, a few things have changed since camp opened.

Sam Fuld and Craig Gentry were set to battle for left field. However, the team moved former center fielder Coco Crisp to left and plan to platoon Fuld and Gentry in center. Josh Reddick strained an oblique but should be ready by Opening Day.

The No. 1 battle is for a starting rotation spot.

Sonny Gray and Scott Kazmir are the only locks. That leaves Jesse Chavez, Drew Pomeranz, Jesse Hahn, Kendall Graveman, Sean Nolin, Barry Zito, Chris Bassitt and Brad Mills for three spots.

There's also a battle for the 24th and 25th spots on the roster.

Guys like Eric Sogard, Andy Parrino, Tyler Ladendorf, Mark Canha, Billy Burns and Nate Freiman are fighting for a role as a bench player with the big league team in 2015.

Lastly, there may be an opening in the bullpen, whether temporary or permanent.

Who's in, and who's out?

Starting Rotation

Let's look at this by process of elimination.

Nolin hasn't pitched in spring yet, so he's out. Guys jumped ahead and shined while he was injured. Mills has pitched the "worst" of all options. There is no way—barring injuries—he moves ahead of younger players who have outpitched him.

On Zito, San Francisco Chronicle writer Susan Slusser wrote:

"

(Zito) still remains a real long-shot for Oakland’s rotation – not because of anything he’s doing or not doing, not because of his age (36). It’s just that the A’s have several other guys with probably better claims, from Jesse Chavez and Drew Pomeranz, who both pitched well in the rotation in the first half of last season and who both look good this spring, to impressive young newcomers like Jesse Hahn and Kendall Graveman.

"

Zito is pitching well enough to be considered a fringe player on a MLB roster. It just may not be Oakland's roster.

Bassitt appeared in 8.0 innings, striking out six and walking two while allowing seven earned runs. Like Zito's situation, other guys have a better claim to a rotation spot.

That leaves Hahn, Graveman, Chavez and Pomeranz—four guys for three spots.

There's an easy solution: throw Chavez in the pen.

Give the starting rotation spots to Hahn, Graveman and Pomeranz.

It's going to be terribly difficult to deny what Graveman and Pomeranz have done in spring. Graveman has allowed one run in a team-high 9.2 innings. Pomeranz allowed two runs in 9.0 innings. He's also struck out a team-high 15 batters.

Manager Bob Melvin said Pomeranz is "in the mix," according to Slusser.

Chavez hasn't pitched poorly, but if there's a logjam, the A's want Graveman and Hahn to be stretched out as starters (not long relievers), and Chavez has experience in the pen. Why not make the decision easy for everyone?

If Hahn or Graveman struggle, one or the other can easily head to Triple-A, with Chavez filling back in. If any starting pitcher gets hit around early in a game, Chavez is easily the top choice for long relief.

Bullpen

Assuming the A's take 13 position players, that leaves 12 spots for pitchers. With five taken by starters and Chavez moving to the bullpen, there are now six spots left.

We know Tyler Clippard, Eric O'Flaherty, Dan Otero and Fernando Abad make it.

Fighting for the remaining two spots are Ryan Cook, Evan Scribner, Eury De La Rosa, Pat Venditte and R.J. Alvarez.

At quick glance, Cook and Scribner make it on experience. Cook has been with the A's for three years and has made an All-Star team. Scribner is out of options, so if Oakland chooses not to retain his services, it cannot just send him to Triple-A Nashville.

But Venditte is garnering national attention.

From Bleacher Report's Scott Miller to Fox Sports' Rob Neyer, baseball writers are singing his praises.

Alvarez, who projects to be a closer in the near future, has pitched well in short stints this spring. In five innings, he's allowed one run, struck out six and walked three. He's only 23, so he could easily be kept in Triple-A. However, with Sean Doolittle out, the team could use Alvarez as a setup man for the temporary closer (Clippard, likely) and then send him down when Doolittle returns from injury.

Ben Margot/Associated Press

Venditte and Alvarez have pitched well. Scribner has a nine-to-one strikeout-to-walk ratio. Cook had one terrible outing on the heels of a terrible outing or two late in 2014. De La Rosa has pitched OK.

I'd guess Cook and Scribner make it out of spring training.

When Doolittle returns, Cook is traded, or Scribner is designated for assignment. And when the other—Cook or Scribner—falters (if, that is), then Alvarez is the first call-up. Venditte is the second call-up in line.

Bench

Eleven of the remaining 13 spots for position players are essentially locked up.

Canha, Freiman, Sogard, Parrino, Burns and Ladendorf are at the top of the list to make the final two spots.

Like the bullpen, you could easily spot the two guys likeliest to make it: Canha and Sogard.

Sogard has the experience and can play three infield positions. Canha has potential and can play first base, right field and left field as opposed to Freiman, who is limited to only first. Freiman suffered an injury early, though, which set him back.

Let's say Canha is in for sure.

Canha adds some power and versatility with the ability to play the corner outfield spots and first base. I'd love to see Burns make the team, but there isn't really a need for him with Fuld and Gentry on the roster already. Though Burns is my dark-horse candidate, for him to make the team means the A's commit to Gentry in center field, trade or cut Fuld and use Burns as the fourth outfielder.

Sogard likely wins the final spot because it's been his for years.

Parrino or Ladendorf would have to really outshine Sogard to hurdle him. That said, Ladendorf is doing just that. In about as many at-bats, Ladendorf has more hits, runs and RBI than Sogard. However, Sogard has zero strikeouts (to Ladendorf's nine).

Ladendorf is 27 and can play middle infield and center field. Sogard is 28 and can play second, short and third.

Without Sogard, the A's lack options at third base if Brett Lawrie gets injured. Besides, Melvin said something (as tweeted by Slusser) that seemed telling about Ladendorf's standing:

So to recap: Hahn, Graveman and Pomeranz earn spots in the starting rotation. Chavez moves to the bullpen. Scribner is gone when Doolittle returns. Cook is a candidate to be moved. Alvarez is the first on the list to be called up. Sogard and Canha fill out the bench. Ladendorf and Burns are close to forcing their way in to those spots instead.

There isn't anything necessarily surprising there.

It's more that position battles most assumed wouldn't be close turned out to be, well, extremely close.