MESA, Ariz. — After the A’s were eliminated by the Yankees in the AL wild-card game last October, Franklin Barreto departed the visiting clubhouse at Yankee Stadium with hope.
Aware of Jed Lowrie’s impending free agency, Barreto knew the A’s starting second base job could be had. No longer blocked, the path was clear.
But things don’t always work out exactly as originally envisioned.
Before Lowrie even found a new club, the A’s pulled off a December three-team deal to acquired Jurickson Profar from the Texas Rangers. In a conference call to discuss the deal, A’s general manager David Forst made it clear Profar would be the everyday second baseman.