Oakland Athletics: Potential Free Agent Targets this Offseason
By Dan Fappiano
Howie Kendrick, Second Basemen, Los Angeles Dodgers
Aug 7, 2015; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers second baseman Howie Kendrick (47) doubles against the Pittsburgh Pirates during the tenth inning at PNC Park. The Pirates won 5-4 in ten innings. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports
The A’s current second baseman isn’t necessarily bad, his .988 fielding percentage ranks tied for sixth among AL second basemen, but it is his deficiency with the bat that makes him expendable.
Sogard is a .237 hitter with 49 doubles and 94 RBI’s. Those numbers are over a six year span and are not reasonable enough to warrant a starting role. Sogard’s skillset is much better suited for a backup defensive utility player.
One player the A’s can have man the second base position is Howie Kendrick. The one time Athletic rival will be a free agent and looks to still have a good few years left in the tank.
For his career, Kendrick is a .293 hitter with 87 home runs and 550 RBI’s. Kendrick also gives a boost to the team on the base paths as he has 101 stolen bases.
Kendrick has never been a power hitter, but he hits doubles consistently — 20 so far on this year — and is solid at getting on base with a .341 on base percentage, 29th in the NL. The Athletics are 10th in the AL with 538 runs. Getting a guy on base more often would only increase that number.
Looking at his fielding, Kendrick has the fourth best fielding percentage in the NL at .991. Kendrick’s fielding percentage is actually higher than Sogard’s, making him a better fit. In this hypothetical scenario, Kendrick and Ramirez would form a veteran inner infield, which is key to a team trying to succeed. Their experience would be vital to the team’s overall defense.
Much like Ramirez, if nothing else, Kendrick can be a placeholder. The A’s have talented prospect Franklin Barreto in the minors. If the team signed Kendrick, it only gives him more time to mature so he can be at his best once it is his time to get called up.
Kendrick, a four time All Star, would be a great fit to add an above average offensive bat in the middle of the A’s young core.