by Charlie O Mallanee

photo credit google images (Sean Doolittle A’s pitcher)

OAKLAND–The A’s in the middle of a ten game road trip now in Chicago after completing three games where they dropped two to Texas we know going into this it was going to be difficult for multiple reasons. Number one there is a lot of travel involved including going back to Texas to play in Houston on Friday night for three games.

Then they play two teams in this mix that are in the playoff hunt, you have Texas right now who is day to day who can get in as a wild card, you got first place Houston in the AL West and a team that is looking to win the division. So the team that will not be in post season on this A’s road trip is the Sox with the four games in Chicago.

Really this is where the A’s need to take care of business right now and it could result in a two game split and winning two games and losing two games in Chicago would be a great outcome for them right now on this ten game road trip. For 2016 the A’s being some 16 games out right now and are looking at improving their pitching staff and to see what that’s going to do for them.

Their considering getting reliever Sean Doolittle in there again and starter Aaron Brooks and they’re kind of looking at it asking what are they going to need when it comes to starting pitching next season. The A’s also are looking at their pieces that they could move in the off season. Obviously the one glaring area for the A’s is going to be that they need to get some relief pitching.

Right now everything is centered around relief pitching to improve for Oakland and that’s been their demise all season long. So your trying to see who your going to have and take a look at pieces that you have. Young players that the A’s might want to keep, young players that you might want to move. It’s almost like spring training all over again in some ways with some of these September call ups and also who the A’s are considering in the farm system. The A’s are really looking onto next year and that’s what their weighing everything on because it’s about next year.

When you got a guy like A’s catcher Stephen Vogt out of the line up it’s devastating especially for a team that doesn’t possess anymore power than the A’s have right now. The fact that Vogt has been such a leader on and off the field that’s been devastating. I really like catcher Josh Phegley right now and he’s the number two catcher. Phegley is showing some promise that he might eventually become the number one catcher and the A’s might move Vogt over to first base.

Charlie O does the A’s podcast weekly for http://www.sportsradioservice.com like Charlie O on facebook