Not that I'm bitter or anything.
Look, the A's are still a pretty dire bunch. Everyone who was doing well has either been traded to a contender (Sean Doolittle, Yonder Alonso, Sonny Gray), is injured (Andrew Triggs), or is suddenly doing poorly (Sean Manaea, Khris Davis, Ryon Healy).
Where does this leave Matt Chapman? Well, despite a jilted average and some slim numbers, he's actually doing well in his rookie season at third. I know, this sounds like Ryon Healy last August, but this could actually work. The guy's only been around for a few months, and the attention in Oakland is beginning to draw towards him.
The A's, ever since the 2012-2013 squad dissolved, have needed a leader type to pull them through rough seasons and get them back on top. Since Josh Donaldson left, they've needed one, and, again, we thought it was gonna be Ryon Healy and that didn't exactly pan out entirely. Chapman seems like more of a well-rounded, savior-of-the-universe type player that could lead this squad if the numbers fell in their favor.
This season is basically a wash, as the A's are on the bottom of a division with a strong leader, and two teams (the Angels and Mariners) who might be making a run at a Wild Card spot. The A's don't have much else to do this year except finish strong, and start building up people for next season.
Coming Tonight: Forever one of my favorite players thanks to what he did in Philadelphia, still a heavy fan favorite in a team battling a serious aging problem this year.
No comments:
Post a Comment