Martin Gallegos of MLB.com writes that the lefty hitter has been given permission to take batting practice and perform simple defensive drills. He has yet to be cleared to play full defense or run the bases, which currently keeps him out. Manager Mark Kotsay told Gallegos that the A’s hope Butler can make his Cactus League debut by mid-spring. That would give him a few weeks to get up to speed before Opening Day.
Butler is coming off a .234/.306/.404 mark in 630 plate appearances. He had a 20-20 campaign and hit 30 doubles, but his velocity data was around league average. While it wasn’t a bad season, it was a step back from the huge second half of 2024 that saw him become a core player. Continuing to play through the injury probably had something to do with that. Butler posted a .251/.326/.433 line at the All-Star Break, but hit .203/.268/.351 in the second half.
The A’s could insert him into the lineup early in the season to avoid putting too much strain on the knee. Once he’s fully healthy, he’ll be an everyday player. Butler should see the majority of his work in the right area. He can kick in the middle if Denzel Clarke struggles enough at the plate that the A’s would prefer to trade out his superlative glove to stick a better hitter in the corner outfield mix.
Clarke missed the final two and a half months of his rookie season due to an adductor strain in his right hip. He was a human standout in center field during his first 47 big league games. Statcast gave Clarke an astonishing 13 Outs Above Average in less than 400 innings. He ranked fifth in the MLB among center fielders while logging about 30-40% of the playing time of the players above him in that category.
The bat is a much bigger question. Clarke has recorded troubling strikeouts during his minor league career. He struck out 61 times while drawing all six walks in his first 159 MLB at-bats. He can hit the ball hard when he makes contact, although much of it comes at such low angles that it limits his power ceiling.
Clarke appears to have no limitations as camp gets underway. He started his first exhibition game as a design hitter, but played in center field in his two most recent appearances without any problems. Clarke also signed to represent his native Canada in the upcoming World Baseball Classic. That gives him the opportunity to play with his cousins Bo Naylor And Josh Naylorall of whom are also part of the Canadian national team.
Most of the A’s setup has been taken care of. Assuming Butler is ready for Opening Day and Clarke wins the center field job, the only spot in the lineup up for grabs is third base. There’s a lot more variety on the pitching side. The A’s have several young pitchers competing for two spots in the back of the rotation. The bullpen is also fairly open, especially in the late innings.
Kotsay said at the start of Spring Training that he has no plans to name a closer on Opening Day (separately MLB.com link via Gallegos). The A’s found success with a committee approach after the trade Mason Miller on the deadline. They explored the market for an established closer this offseason, but were seemingly priced out of a fast-moving, generally robust free agent relief class.
The A’s added a few veteran weapons, Mark Leiter Jr. And Scott Barlowon cheaper one-year contracts. Barlow has significant slot experience, but has spent the past two seasons in lower-leverage roles. Both right-handers are of the recovery type and not of locking arms at the back. From the returning arms of the A, Hogan Harris Last season he led the way with four saves. He will likely fill a high-leverage role alongside him Justin Sternerof Tyler Ferguson And Elvis Alvarado possibly also in the mix.
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