Kotsay explains recent cuts; Boyle battles command issues

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- No position is more up for grabs for the A’s this spring than third base. On Sunday, that situation gained a bit of clarity when the club optioned Jordan Diaz to Triple-A Las Vegas as one of 12 roster cuts from big league camp.

Before Oakland’s 6-5 victory over the D-backs on Monday at Salt River Fields, manager Mark Kotsay explained the thought process behind the decision to option Diaz, who was hitting .083 (2-for-24) through 10 Cactus League games.

“At the third base spot, there’s a few bodies there right now that we’re kind of evaluating,” Kotsay said. “The message for Jordan is to go down and get at-bats. Things can change. Being on the 40-man roster when you get sent out, you still have that opportunity to be called back without having to make a roster move.”

The A’s would also like Diaz to focus on his conditioning, which Kotsay cited as a possible factor in the 23-year-old infielder’s slow start this spring.

“He’s a kid that is working on certain things and understanding where he needs to be physically,” Kotsay said. “Getting to that place will help him not just this year, but for his future, too.”

With Diaz, who started 37 games for the A’s at third base last season, now out of the picture, Oakland’s main options for the hot corner are Darell Hernaiz, Abraham Toro and Aledmys Díaz.

Joey Estes, ranked Oakland’s No. 13 prospect by MLB Pipeline, was another notable roster cut. The 22-year-old right-hander fared well in his three Cactus League outings, allowing just one run on two hits with eight strikeouts and one walk over seven innings.

The A’s expect to see Estes in the big leagues in 2024. But with other pitchers in camp the A’s want to get a deeper look at this spring, the club felt it was best for him to continue building up as a starter over on the Minor League side.

“Joey is going to be a part of the rotation at some point this year,” Kotsay said. “Lack of innings available really impacted Joey’s opportunity to stay here, but we all know how quickly something can change with pitching in terms of injuries. We’re going to build Joey up with the mindset that he can have an opportunity if something changes.”

The 12 moves on Sunday leave the A’s with 40 players in camp.

Boyle works around command issues
Joe Boyle’s improved command has vaulted him to the top of the list of candidates who are vying for the final spot in Oakland’s rotation this spring. But on Monday, the right-hander battled through lack of a feel for his high-octane fastball.

Making his fourth Cactus League start, Boyle, ranked Oakland’s No. 10 prospect, worked around five walks to allow just one run on one hit with two strikeouts over three-plus innings. Two of those walks in the third inning put him in a self-created jam that he was able to escape by inducing an inning-ending double-play ball from Christian Walker on a slider, which limited the damage in the inning to one run.

“Joe has that inning where he starts to spray a little bit,” Kotsay said. “The sooner he gets back in the zone, the more efficient he’ll be. I was really happy with the third inning and him getting the double-play ball to get out of it. That’s a good sign of not letting things completely spiral.”

The most important development for Boyle was building up to 66 pitches, even if only 33 went for strikes. His fastball maxed out 99.6 mph and averaged 98.3 mph throughout the outing, which he departed in the fourth following a leadoff walk issued to Joc Pederson.

Boyle also continued to integrate his new sweeper into his mix of pitches. Though Statcast lumped the pitch in with his slider, Boyle said he threw “a ton” of sweepers on Monday and even experimented with throwing it to left-handed batters, adding that he feels confident in the pitch as a fourth offering along with his fastball, slider and curveball.

“I threw it to some lefties for the first time this spring,” Boyle said. “That’s a new thing for me. It’s just different throwing it to righties vs. lefties just visually and where you have to start. It was good to throw that. I don’t think I threw any strikes with the sweeper to lefties, but the misses were good and it was an improvement. I’m happy with where that pitch is right now.”