Oakland A’s manager Mark Kotsay seen running out of the dugout on Sep 10, 2024 in Arlington Texas against the Texas Rangers hopes the 2024 A’s can finish at least at .500 for the season. (AP file photo)

A’s 2024: In One Word, “Prospectos”

That’s Amaury News and Commentary

By Amaury Pi-González

OAKLAND–It is time to talk baseball and leave executive negotiations and all trials and tribulations on the A’s future “housing,” but unless there is a deal with Oakland, the A’s could play their last game at the Coliseum this season.

I will leave those issues to the people who have that responsibility. But this is not a rumor, On March 28, 2024, the Oakland Athletics will begin their 56th season at the Oakland-Alameda-County Coliseum. The A’s open the season with a weekend series against the Cleveland Guardians and their new manager, ex-A’s Stephen Vogt. What we can expect this season is two-fold.

1-Manager Mark Kotsay said a “.500 season is the challenge for his team this year.” That is an expected position for a young manager in an organization that changes players like most of us change underwear.

2-Prospects. Although I see it as the main focus for the young A’s in 2024, after a 102-lost season in 2023, they are loaded with young but unproven talent. Although the P word (potential) always figures with prospects, that is the question for many young kids trying to make the majors. Not every player develops the same way; some are ready given the opportunity, and others are late bloomers.

Lazaro (Lazarito) Armenteros (outfield) is a five-tool player signed by the A’s out of Cuba as a 17-year-old for $3 million. The team hopes he blossoms into the Major League player they envisioned when he was signed.

He began the 2023 season in Lansing, then was promoted to Double-A Midland Rock Hounds, where he ended with a 2.49 average 14 homeruns, 72 runs batted in and ten stolen bases. On November 6, A’s added him to the 40-man roster. Jacob Wilson is the A’s No.1 prospect and No.68 in MLB. Two third-basemen are in the prospect mix: Brett Harris A’s No.11 and Myles Naylor A’s No.9.

Since baseball is not a perfect science, you could see some of these prospects, although unlikely, this season. As it is today, the A’s will have a young team when they open the season in a couple of weeks.