The A’s made a noteworthy offseason addition to their bullpen, but the biggest help to Oakland’s relievers might come from their own starting rotation.
The relief corps shouldered too heavy of a workload in 2016 due to a rotation that struggled with injuries and inconsistency. The bullpen threw a whopping 561 1/3 innings, third most in franchise history behind the 1964 and 1997 squads.
If A’s starters can work deeper into games this season, that alone will take some pressure off the relief corps. But Oakland also added depth and experience to the ‘pen by signing Santiago Casilla to a two-year, $11 million contract.