The A’s won 97 games last year, but instead of thoughts of World Series contention, there was a precarious feeling around the team heading into this season.
After all, last year was a surprise — while some thought the A’s would be good, no one saw 97 wins coming.
Alas, they arrived — perhaps a year or two ahead of schedule — and now the 2019 A’s aren’t sneaking up on anyone.
But Oakland’s starting rotation doesn’t put a scare in anyone, either. And that’s a big problem, even in his era of bullpenning and openers.