Eight relievers will man Oakland’s bullpen at least to start the season, manager Bob Melvin said Saturday morning, with hard-throwing Frankie Montas making the club out of the spring.
With the A’s keeping an extra reliever, the team will go with four outfielders, which means that fifth-outfielder hopeful Jaff Decker will open the season at Triple-A Nashville. Melvin said it was difficult to send Decker out. “He did everything he could to make the team,” Melvin said.
That means that corner outfielder Mark Canha will be the team’s backup center fielder.