Catcher - Shoppach (or another), Donaldson --- Rosales backup backup catcher???? Norris in Minors
1st Moss, Cespedes, Donaldson. Yes, the big guy here to save wear and tear and free up the OF slots
2nd Sizemore, Green, Rosales -- Weeks traded or minors
3rd Nakajima, Sizemore, Rosales, Green, Cespedes, Donaldson...
SS Bartlett, Nakajima, Rosales, Green
OF Cespedes, Crisp, Reddick, Young, Smith, Green
DH Carter, Young, Smith, Reddick, Moss, Cespedes... If Carter goes off big - like I have feeling he might - Cespedes must find and infield spot to liven up the lineup (Cespedes is a good infielder - once a top shortstop in Cuba.. He should handle 1st or 3rd OK... Not saying the best option at 3rd)

14 offensive players... No Carter on Defense at all... And Donaldson can only play 3rd when the ball is not going to be hit there and there are no runners on base!!!!

5 SP...
6 RP...

11 Pitchers is the tough one... The A's will have to play the DFA and Option game well here

Green would have to have his bags packed at all times...

How are Carter's options looking .... Carter really has to hit to stay up..

Smith is the player on the bubble in the OF... He is a good player - But the other 4 OFers are clearly above him now... Ya never know though.... If Carter hits big.... PT for Smith drys up... Unless, Cespedes plays somewhere in the infield at times...

The DFA rule is just not abused enough (a nice fat envelope to keep the player happy while on it).... HAHAHAHAHA

Look, I know this is not the conventional wisdom of the tight poopoo hole MLB types ... Why not???... It might be fun and might work well too...

I really think, MLB teams should keep more non regular catcher players involved in catching duties... The idea carrying 2 or even 3 catchers (1 or 2 with nego bats normally and other field position limitations ) is appalling... It is the one place, I would sacrifice some pitching effectiveness and D for the sake of greater overall team depth and flexibility...

Wonder what the Sabermetrics are on this????

C-Napoli
1b-moss man/carter
2b-Sizemore/weeks
3b-Donaldson
Ss-nakajima
Lf-cespedes
Cf-young
Rf-reddick
Dh-carter/smith/Rosales

Bench-crisp, kottaras, green

A'S FOREVER

Not bad, but I believe the A's management sees Norris as their opening day catcher. We won with Norris and Kottaris as our catchers. Hopefully Norris will improve behind the plate and his hitting.

I agree that the 2B job is Sizemore'stion to lose, but I think his main competion comes from Green. I think Weeks has to improve hist hitting, fielding, and his attitude. That sort of puts him at a great disadvantage.

The outfield is certainly a strong suit. I believe we will start the season with Crisp in CF. I could be wrong, but ST will settle who starts there.

Our Starters will be Anderson, Parker, Milone, Colon, and Griffin unless Strailey has a phenomenal ST. Relievers should be Blackley - long relief - Neshek or Scribner, Blevins, Norberto, Doolittle, Cook, and Balfour.

Mark this....for 2013 season.

Norris by getting the experience playing in MLB instead from the minors in 2012..... besides Cespedes, is the A's player whose job is most secured...not even a Suzuki or Napoli if they're with the team.

So live with it!

Do not under estimate (i do not like him too but) Barton now that he is fully healthy. he was first a catcher, played 3B as well in minors so.... there is your other backup infielder and catcher. and because he is Beane's boy and do play great defense at 1B and walks a lot, he just may tell Carter or Moss to take a hike in spring.

Barton and Green are all you need as backups... f the Rosaleses or weeks since there is already a sizemore and nakajima.

If Barton's presence causes the exit of Moss or Carter, I would be dissapointed. Got a better chance of one of those 2 developing into a reliable 1B more so than Barton, that guy has gotten enough chances (even on a team that does not have the ability to land Big FA 1B). At this point it would be better to take a flier on that tandem than settle for a guy that seems to have a very low ceiling.

Offensively.....maybe. But there's still a good chance for still a young Barton to become a good hitter while no doubt the most reliable 1bman the A's have defensively at this point......and perhaps the key reason why the team is holding on him. If the outfielders, Donaldson, and a little pop there from Norris, i could see the A's will again make a room for Barton in the 25man roster for 2013. He will also be an excellent backup for Norris and whoever is the other one as a catcher will be....something both moss and carter can not do.

Donaldson would be the emergency 3rd catcher next year. Why would the A's keep someone on the roster just because he played catcher 5 years ago in the low minors when you have someone who played catcher in the majors last year?

"He will also be an excellent backup for Norris and whoever is the other one as a catcher will be..."

The last time Daric Barton played catcher was for ONE game in 2005 at Single-A Stockton. That's EIGHT years ago! How exactly does that make him "an excellent backup catcher" for the 2013 A's? That is an absolutely ridiculous assertion.

"Do not under estimate Barton now that he is fully healthy"

Interestingly, Barton's allegedly bad shoulder didn't stop him from putting up a very "healthy" .844 OPS in 70 games at AAA last year. It appears quite obvious to me that Barton's problem is not his "health" - his problem is his inability to hit Major League Pitching.

I like this extra catcher thingy... Have Barton work on it at AAA.... He is a good fielder with a good arm... Why not??... Good catch there I had forgotten that about Barton...

My only objection was and is - the "ARM" Norris showed us in the playoffs... Was he hurt??? Or is it really that weak all the time.... Those youth baseball like throws to 2nd were beyond ugly to behold..

Simple - No MLB catcher can throw like that!!!!

You must remember often catcher is a place BB players don't want to get stuck at... It is a brutal job during the game and in practice... "Bullpen Catcher" is the worst label a player can where in higher levels of BB... Players avoid it like the plague... It is hard hot work in the summer...

If it was the difference in staying or not making MLB... Betcha, Rosales (or someone like him) could be made a decent backup catcher over not so long of a period...

Believe me, the mysteries of catching are being overstated... It is like being a member of a club... A Lot of the talk is just ring bumping malarkey..

The A's need to do things differently given their $$$$ issues.... And we are only talking backup here... It might be fun one game out of 6 or so to see...

The International Botherhood Catchers would go crazy about this....

Let me go out on a limb with this prediction: Barton will not be on the 25 man roster!

And it hr Dora's make the 25man roster, you know it is because of Beane and Barton's ability to backup the infield corners and catching....His glove alone which is very much needed by the A's at 1b because the rest of the infielders are still shaky defensively. Our pitchers need his glove at 1b and BoMel and Beane know it.

Don't discount the Resop factor. I think you have to account for him on the 25-man roster. The A's didn't give up a lot to get him, but he fits in well in the as the replacement for Miller, kind of a right-handed Blevins.

On the other hand, Barton can be the backup of Donaldson at 3b also.

This thread has just gotten silly now. Barton su cks.

A'S FOREVER

Ok, between this thread and another, I just can't take it anymore. Barton is a well paid bucket.

You can set it up next to the plate and watch as it either draws a walk or strikes out looking.

You can lean it up next to 1st base and throw balls at it.

In a pinch it can act as backup catcher.

........... Sorry correction, bucket is a switch hitter, and Barton may be more like a slightly larger barrel while manning 1st base.

I think it is a stupid idea to have barton start catching again. If the A's didn't think he could catch when they traded for him what makes anyone think he can now

That is even a worse idea than having him catch.

not an idea... i can not accept it also but it is reality. he played all three positions in the minors. it just happened that he has become the best defensive A's 1Bman who is active today. Along with Green, I just could not see Rosales or even a weak glove upper cut Weeks if Sizemore claims 2B in 2013.