La Stella's Imminent Arrival Likely to Shake Up Athletics' Lineup with Another Lefty Bat

Tommy La Stella, due to join the Oakland Athletics in the middle of their doubleheader against the Astros today, gives the A's a left-handed at with some power. As such, Tony Kemp could lose some playing time at second base, but Kemp could also gain some time in the outfield. Meanwhile, La Stella could also serve as a lefty DH.

The A’s newest member of the roster, Tommy La Stella, is supposed to arrive at Minute Maid Park during the first game of Saturday’s doubleheader after flying in from Southern California, and manager Bob Melvin plans to start him in Game 2.

La Stella’s arrival is likely to shake up things for the A’s. A second baseman with power – he was voted onto the American League All-Star team for the Angels last year – he likely will take playing time away from Tony Kemp, who is also left-handed, but with less power.

But Kemp also has a long history of playing in the outfield. He could get starts there when manager Bob Melvin feels the need to get more left-handed bats in the lineup. Left fielder Robbie Grossman and first baseman Matt Olson had been the only regular lefties in the lineup beyond Kemp, although backup catcher Jonah Heim is a switch hitter.

So, it’s at least conceivable the A’s could put together a lineup including five left-handed bats against some particularly difficult right-handed starters.

If this sounds a little speculative, it’s because the A’s haven’t decided just how they want to handle the addition of La Stella. And they don’t know if there will be any other additions to the roster before the trade deadline hits on Monday.

“How we do it exactly, I‘m not sure yet,” Melvin said in a video conference call before Saturday’s doubleheader in Houston.

“He could potentially DH, he could potentially play second base, he has actually played some first base, which we don’t do much with there. He is versatile. He has a good left-handed bat. We’ll fit him in there some way.”

La Stella has spent the last two years as a thorn in the A’s side. The lefty, mostly batting in the top of the lineup, had a .305/.371/.389 slash line in 10 games against the A’s this season, and last year the numbers were even better at .365/.411/.462.

“The first four or five guys in the Angels’ batting order is hard,” Melvin said. “Look at the record. We’ve had trouble with those guys, and La Stella has been right in the middle of that.”

The addition of La Stella, who is due to be a free agent at the end of the season, came at the cost of sending Franklin Barreto to the Angels. Barreto wasn’t played much other than to pinch-run, so it’s a step ahead for him, but Melvin did have some regret.

“I’m as big a Franklin Barreto fan as there possibly could be,” Melvin said. “There just didn’t end up being an opportunity for him to be in there on an everyday basis consistently. So, I’m actually happy that hopefully he is going to get an opportunity there. There’s a lot of ability there.”

Melvin said Barreto’s poor numbers (0-for-10 this season) due to lack of playing time in Oakland “was really not fair to him.”

“I think he’ll do really well if given a chance to play multiple games in a row for an extended period.”

Follow Athletics insider John Hickey on Twitter: @JHickey3

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