September is here, and with it comes roster expansion - though the version teams get now is a lot less generous than the old one. Instead of stuffing the dugout with everybody on the 40-man, clubs can only add two players. For a rebuilding team that wants as many looks as possible, that’s not exactly ideal, but that’s the hand they’ve been dealt.
The A’s still haven’t made anything official, but Martin Gallegos offered a strong clue about who is headed up: Clarke and Tur.
Neither name comes as a shock. Clarke opened the year as the club’s center fielder and looked like a key piece before the bat went cold and injuries wiped out most of his season.
Tur, meanwhile, is a respected prospect who has already gotten his first taste of the majors earlier this year. For now, he’s expected to fill a middle relief role, and he’ll have a chance to earn more than a brief look if things go well.
If not, this could end up being a short stay.
Clarke is the more intriguing callup. His defense has always been the selling point, but Henry Bolte’s rise has changed the picture.
Bolte may not be at Clarke’s level with the glove, but he doesn’t need to be. He’s good enough in center, and he brings a more complete offensive profile than Clarke has shown so far in the majors.
That’s the real issue: Clarke was overmatched earlier in the year, and the injury only made it harder for him to find his footing.
Still, there’s reason for encouragement. During his rehab with the Aviators, Clarke has been swinging it well, hitting .344/.462/.594 with two home runs.
The walks stand out too - seven of them - because he doesn’t need to be a star at the plate to matter. His glove is the calling card, and if he can simply be serviceable against big league pitching, that’s enough to make him useful.
That creates an interesting September setup with Clarke and Bolte both on the roster. When they’re in the same lineup, Clarke would handle center field and Bolte would shift to a corner spot. And if the A’s think a change of scenery could help both sides this offseason, giving Clarke a month to flash that elite defense in center would make plenty of sense.
First pitch is at 5:05 again.
In Other News...
As September Slide Is Starting To Raise A Bigger Concern
A late-season stumble is starting to feel a little more pointed for the Athletics after they dropped the series opener to the Rangers, 8-1, on Monday night. The loss pushed Oakland to four straight defeats and turned what had been a difficult stretch into a sharper concern, especially with the offense mostly quiet against Jacob deGrom and the game getting away early.
Rookie Gage Jump was hit hard in the start, and the As are still sorting through what comes next on the mound. They have not announced a starter for the next game after skipping J.T. Ginn, while the Rangers are set to come back with MacKenzie Gore, leaving Oakland with another important decision to make as the slide keeps building. [Read more 🡒]
Denzel Clarkes Return Could Create A New As Outfield Dilemma
Denzel Clarke is finally on track to rejoin the Athletics as rosters expand to 28 players, giving the club another option in the outfield at a time when playing time is already a moving target. Clarke has missed most of the season while working back from a foot bone bruise and a high-grade left hamstring strain, and Oakland is hopeful the extra runway of the final month will give him a chance to settle in and help.
His return also puts a little more pressure on how the Athletics sort out center and right field down the stretch, where Henry Bolte has continued to see action. The club wants Clarke healthy enough to contribute, but the bigger question now is how much of a role there will be once he is back in the mix and how the A's decide to distribute those reps as the season winds down. [Read more 🡒]
Athletics Skid Is Putting Mark Kotsay Under Real Pressure
The Athletics have spent enough time dealing with uneven offense and shaky pitching that the pressure is no longer just about the roster, but about how Mark Kotsay is steering it. Recent losses have put a sharper focus on the managers choices, especially the way he has handled his pitching staff and bullpen while the team tries to stop the slide. For a club already searching for answers at the plate, every small decision on the mound has started to carry a little more weight.
Oakland still needs more from several key players if it is going to have a realistic shot in the next set of games, but the urgency around the dugout is growing in a different way. The As have been trying to patch together enough quality innings to stay competitive, and the way Kotsay manages those moments is becoming part of the story, too. With another Mariners matchup coming up, the margin for error feels thinner than ever. [Read more 🡒]