I sat down with the intent of writing about who Oakland’s everyday shortstop is going to be. It’s a simple enough question - with Marcus Semien rehabbing and due to return to the major league squad within the next couple of weeks, who will field shortstop between Semien, Barreto, Pinder, and Rosales? Unfortunately I forgot the advice of the wise Carl Sagan: If you wish to make an infield from scratch, you must first invent the universe.
Looking at those four names (or really three, because let’s be real, Rosie shouldn’t be part of the equation) just made me realize how many other questions must be answered in order to figure out who Oakland’s shortstop will be on August 1, when the trade deadline has passed.