Who closes for Oak now?

[whammer]

Not that there will be many opportunities, but who closes? Balfour? Fuentes? De Losantos?

-W

[Todd Zola]

The early word is Grant Balfour, Fautino De Los Santos and Joey Devine will duke it out. It would not surprise me to see Balfour (and Fuentes) have shots early to build up trade value, and use the early season as an audition for De Los Santos and Devine.

[themather]

Here's what Rotoworld says about De Los Santos ...

<<<<Fautino De Los Santos, RHP, Athletics

With Andrew Bailey shipped to the Red Sox, the A’s have an opening at the back end of their bullpen. Assistant general manager David Forst has already said that De Los Santos, who will turn 26 in February, will compete for the job with Grant Balfour and Joey Devine. De Los Santos posted just a 4.32 ERA and 1.32 WHIP over 34 games for the A’s this past season, but he also struck out 43 in 33 1/3 innings and boasts an 11.7 K/9 mark in his minor league career. Balfour is likely the favorite to break camp with the gig, but the job probably belongs to De Los Santos over the long term, and he could take the reins by midseason if Balfour is traded.>>>>>

Personally, and it's based in nothing other than my vibe, this feels like the perfect opportunity for Devine to finally step in and be the closer everybody thought he would be years ago. Granted, his health is a massive factor in this whole thing, but I have to think a couple healthy and productive weeks in March will absolutely throw him into the mix.

If nothing else, this screams of a season that starts with a closer by committee so the A's can see who shakes out as the winner.

[da_big_kid_94]

I have seen several quotes from several similar underlings within front office organizations throughout MLB and I have a question; Since when do the views of assistant general managers carry any weight when it determines who does what job on what team? I thought the GMs went out and got the talent and the managers determined how to use it. Has Beene and his crew really become that arrogant? Must be nice to have a movie made about you. Who exactly is David Forst and why does his opinion matter? If he's saying the closer will emerge from the current roster and they won't be looking to acquire one (Real news flash there), that's one thing. But for this back office gnome to even be given resource to define who will compete for the closers spot sounds more like some writer needed hot stove filler. Looks like Jerry Jones syndrome may be creeping into MLB. I'll wait until they start asking managers these types of questions - and then take THAT with several grains of salt.

[Todd Zola]

I think many teams have a meeting between the field manager and the front office where these decisions are collectively made.

In the case of the A's, it seems to me that they have to balance doing what the GM wants with respect to talent evaluation and what the field manager wants with respect to winning games.

This is one organization that I can actually envision having these summits.

[da_big_kid_94]

I think many teams have a meeting between the field manager and the front office where these decisions are collectively made.

In the case of the A's, it seems to me that they have to balance doing what the GM wants with respect to talent evaluation and what the field manager wants with respect to winning games.

This is one organization that I can actually envision having these summits.

If that is true (and I have no idea if it is one way or the other), I pose this query - Then why is it we never seem to have anyone ask the manager these questions?

[Todd Zola]

In season, the field manager addresses it all the time in his pressers and interviews.

Off-season, the team is still being constructed. Keeping in mind this will only be asked about teams whose closer is in doubt, my conjecture is the question is not "who is going to close" but rather something like "are you looking to acquire a closer or are you going to fill the role from within the organization."

And if the question is indeed the former, the real question is the latter.

[da_big_kid_94]

Maybe I should have filed this post in the "Things I Don't Get" thread. As I mentioned earlier, your conjecture was one of the possible interpretations of this statement - that they are going in house for the answer to their closer question.. I just don't see where David Forst comes off as the face/spokesman of the Oakland/San Jose A's.

[Todd Zola]

Everybody is a nobody until we get to know them.

Not sure is this is a perfect analogy, but what would the reaction be if Ryan Carey (deansdaddy) made an announcement on behalf of the site?

Would it be "Who is Ryan Carey and why is he speaking for Mastersball?" or "Lawr, Brian and Todd must have empowered Ryan to make the announcement."

Or sub in any staff member instead of Ryan.

[deansdaddy]

Who me?

[TheRunner77]

Everybody is a nobody until we get to know them.

Not me. I'm am expert at being a nobody.