The A's Could Use Pitching, But May Have to Get Creative to Improve

The Athletics have been fairly competitive this season, holding a 22-24 record while being firmly in the mix in the AL West. They're on a four-game skid at the moment, but they are also about to finish up arguably their toughest stretch of games this season, facing the Mariners, Yankees, Dodgers, and Giants in back-to-back series.

With the schedule slated to ease up a touch, the A's should start stacking up wins again soon, but at this point in the season, it's also a good time to take a look at where the team could improve if they're hoping to make a run at a postseason spot.

The obvious need for this club is an improvement on the pitching side. They rank No. 26 in team ERA with a 5.15, ahead of just the Nationals, Orioles, Marlins, and Rockies. There is always pitching available at the trade deadline, and while there is still time to determine if the A's will be buyers or sellers, if they end up looking for arms, those four teams behind them could be the majority of the sellers.

That's not exactly a promising sign for what the market will hold.

So the A's will seemingly have two options. The first is to comb the waiver wire and look for marginal upgrades, or make a deal for a guy that they think they can tweak to get some extra production out of. They've gone this route in the past, but typically to find relief options. Lucas Erceg is a shining example of this working out for the club in recent years.

The other option may be the way they end up going, however, and that is to address the team's defense. Judging by public-facing metrics (DRS, OAA, and Range), the A's rank last in baseball in all three categories, so there seems to be consensus that they could stand to improve. This also makes sense because the club's defense wasn't the best last season either.

The tricky part here is that there isn't a ton of room to bring guys in, given that some of their key bats are more or less cemented in the lineup. There are two potential spots that the team could upgrade defensively however, and it would be fairly bold to remove either bat.

The first would be to find a solution at third base. MIguel Andujar has been getting most of the playing time at the hot corner of late, and he's hitting really well this season, holding a 120 wRC+ while batting .312 with a .338 OBP. His expected stats expect a bit of a drop in production with a .276 xBA, but he's been solid and makes plenty of contact.

The problem is that his defense doesn't grade out well. According to Outs Above Average, both Urshela and Andujar have accrued a -1, but Defensive Runs Saved has Urshela at a -7 and Andujar at a -2. It's important to note that Urshela has 239 innings at third, while Andujar is at just 72, so they've been roughly even given the playing time.

Finding a bat may be a little easier than an arm. They could also give prospect Max Muncy a go at third base at some point, but his bat wasn't quite clicking earlier this season, and he's less tested at third base.

The other position that could use an upgrade is in center, where JJ Bleday tends to roam. He has a -7 DRS and a -5 OAA, while his range is also lacking. Bleday had a great season at the plate last year, but he's one of just a few guys in the lineup that has a wRC+ below league average. Granted, he's not too far behind at a 96, but given his defensive grades, the A's could look to make a swap there too.

The A's could also attempt to roll with No. 5 prospect Denzel Clarke out there if they feel they need to make a change. Clarke was added to the 40-man roster over the offseason, and has yet to make his MLB debut, but he does have experience at the position.

The A's have some internal, yet unproven, options they could roll with, or they could look to make some upgrades in other ways. It will be interesting to see how GM David Forst and the front office look to address the roster as the trade deadline gets closer.