The 2017 World Baseball Classic starts on Monday, but the Oakland A’s won’t be taking as big of a part in the tournament as it once appeared.
When rosters were announced in February, the A’s had nine players confirmed to take part, including five major leaguers. However, most of the biggest names have withdrawn their commitments for various reasons, leaving the list much shorter (MLB players are in bold):
- Cesar Valdez, RHP, Dominican Republic
- Jake Sanchez, RHP, Mexico
- Ryan Lavarnway, C, Israel
- Joey Wagman, RHP, Israel
Sonny was denied insurance coverage due to his time on the DL in 2016, causing him to pull out of the WBC.