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MESA, Ariz. — A pitcher once considered a near-lock for the A’s opening day starting rotation appears to be out of the mix.
Daniel Mengden was optioned Monday to Triple-A Las Vegas in a surprising move after the right-hander entered spring training camp as the expected No. 4 starter.
“He probably didn’t have his best spring but we like him a lot. He just won’t start with us,” A’s manager Bob Melvin said. “He’s been demoted before and has come back and responded. No doubt he will be back.”
The decision to send Mengden down appears to have given others a better chance to crack the rotation. One of those is phenom Jesús Luzardo, who has strengthened his case with a 0.93 earned-runs average in four outings.
The Florida prospect has shown A’s executives that he is ready to pitch in the big leagues.
The move probably helps Frankie Montas the most. Montas was dominant in his three spring outings is out of minor league options. It is doubtful other clubs would pass on Montas, 25, in waivers. The right-hander has a 97 mph fastball and a 1.00 ERA in the Cactus League this year.
If Montas joins Mike Fiers, Marco Estrada and Brett Anderson in the rotation one spot would be open for the fifth starter. With Mengden and Paul Blackburn optioned, Chris Bassitt, Aaron Brooks and Luzardo would be in contention for the job.
Brooks has improved each outing in spring after a bad first one that saw him allow six runs over two innings. Bassitt has also looked good with an increase in velocity on his fastball to about 97 mph serving as a nice complement to a 70 mph curveball.
Like Montas, Brooks is out of options. The A’s might want to let him begin the year in the rotation to see what they have before the risk of losing him on waivers. This would mean Luzardo and Bassitt both start the regular season in Triple-A.
Luzardo, 21, won’t travel to Japan for the opening series March 20-21, but he will start one of the Bay Bridge Series games when the A’s return. Perhaps another electric performance would be enough to make the team.
Mengden’s chances were hurt because he had a fourth minor league option available with a lack of accrued major league service time. The A’s could afford to send him to the minor leagues one more year without being exposed to the waiver process. Bassitt is in a similar situation.
Mengden didn’t help himself when compiling a 5.73 ERA in spring games. While such numbers don’t matter much for established starters, A’s executives might have wanted to see more before including him in the rotation.
Mengden still has a chance for a promotion. The A’s don’t need a third, fourth or fifth starter until their opening series in Oakland at the end of March.
— Matt Olson is about to get a lot more familiar with the No. 3 spot in the lineup.
A’s manager Bob Melvin said there are several options for the three-spot in the order, but Stephen Piscotty and Olson are likely to get the bulk of the starts in that position. The right-handed hitting Piscotty would bat against left-handed pitchers, the left-handed Olson against righties.
In his three big leagues seasons, Olson has only slotted in that spot in four games. He usually bats fifth after slugger Khris Davis. Batting third will be a slight adjustment but nothing Olson is worried about.
“Whatever lineup they roll out one through nine I think we’re all comfortable with where we’re at,” Olson said. “We’re strong. It’s not like we need a guy behind someone to protect them.”
Olson won’t try to make any changes to his approach at the plate based on where he’s batting in the order. The approach led to 29 home runs last season.
“The only difference is maybe sometimes KD won’t clear the bases if I’m hitting third,” Olson said. “Wherever I’m at, I’m fine with it and going to do what I need to do to produce for the team.”
— Brett Anderson’s final Cactus League outing ended on a sour note after he was pulled in Monday’s 6-3 loss to the Rockies following a three-run homer allowed to Ian Desmond.
But the results don’t matter so much for Anderson, who has a spot in the rotation secured. The left-hander is just glad to have his pitch count up — he threw 69 pitches over 3 1/3 innings and allowed three runs on five hits and a walk.
“I got what I needed to get out of this expedited spring,” Anderson said. “My body and arm feel good. That’s all you can ask for.”
Anderson will join the A’s in Japan and start the second of two exhibition games against Japan’s Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters.
“I don’t know how much video we have on them,” Anderson joked. “I’ll have to look and see what they are all about.”
