This season, the Oakland Futility Watch is not as urgent as it was last year, of course. But we do want to check in with the Athletics during their final season of play in the East Bay Coliseum before heading elsewhere for its future fortunes. Entering play today, the A’s were 25-38, which is 12 games better than the team was last season through its first 63 games. Progress, in any shape or form, is a good thing for the A’s.

On that note, we’d like to offer some thoughts on the roster management, even if the team is stuck with a mediocre manager for at least the rest of the 2024 season. We try not to get annoyed at the minutiae of every close loss—and Oakland is 10-11 this year so far in games decided by one run, which isn’t bad although it could be a lot better—as the manager doesn’t have “great” tools to work with in this dugout.

However, these are some changes we’d make to the roster going forward:

  • Despite hitting just .202 overall, catcher Shea Langeliers is posting a 110 OPS+ right now. That’s doable, although he could cut down on his strikeouts and perhaps sit against lefties. He is hitting just .158 against southpaws this year and just .185 against them in his career as a whole. It’s odd, since he’s a right-handed hitter, but it is time to sit him against lefties and start someone else (not left-handed hitting Kyle McCann, however). This is just a weird situation—but one that needs a remedy, quickly.
  • It might be time to try veteran journeyman Miguel Andujar at first base. His bat is sound, and his glove may be dicey, but he’s never made an error at that position (yet). He hit 27 home runs for the New York Yankees in 2018 at age 23, but he has scuffled since then. Maybe he can be a short-term solution in Oakland, as he’s not eligible for free agency until 2026.
  • Second baseman Zack Gelof was impressive last year in half a season as a rookie, but he has struggled mightily this year. Hopefully, he’s turning it around this month, as he is hitting .333 in June now. Either way, he is still the best option at the keystone, and the A’s need to stick with him, for better or for worse—at least through the end of this season and maybe next year, too.
  • Utility man Max Schuemann seems to be the best option at shortstop right now, even as an age-27 rookie. Personally, we never want to see Nick Allen in the major leagues again, or his toothpick-caliber bat. With a .540 career OPS, he belongs in Little League. Schuemann had a solid May and can play other spots on the diamond, too, but for now, let him have short and see what he can do with it.
  • Another UTL guy, Abraham Toro, is playing pretty well right now as a journeyman vagabond. Oddly, the A’s are the third AL West team he’s played for in his 6-year career, and maybe he realized he needed another contract soon if he wants to stick in MLB. Either way, he can also play first and second if needed, but right now Oakland may need him most at the hot corner since J.D. Davis isn’t doing it.
  • The outfield is a mess, as JJ Bleday and Daz Cameron seem to be the best options right now with Lawrence Butler and Esteury Ruiz on the injured list. Both healthy guys are somewhat “aged” for prospects, although perhaps they’re just finally learning how to handle MLB pitching. Of course, “All Star” Brent Rooker can play in the outfield, even if he’s better off at designated hitter most days.
  • Former Oakland Manager Bob Melvin used to maximize the DH slot by moving guys around and through the spot regularly, giving some guys a day off in the field without losing their bats, etc. Current Manager Mark Kotsay needs to find a similar rhythm here to make sure his finding the best lineup he can every day, all things considered. Overall, the team is hitting just .223 right now, and the team isn’t scoring anywhere near enough runs. That puts too much pressure on the pitchers to be perfect, obviously. And they’re not.

Maybe next time out we’ll take on the pitching staff, which also has had its usual steady stream of injuries, sadly. The A’s have not had a winning month this season, and they may not have one come October. But with an 11-7 interleague mark, there are some rays of sunshine poking through here and there. The manager just needs to remember to set his team up for success—rather than doom them to failure.