This is What I Mean

Not to beat up on Michael Kopech, but he’s gotten worse with each start this spring. Dylan Cease, on the other hand, has gone in the opposite direction since giving up eleven runs to the Royals a few starts ago. In a textbook application of “that was then, this is now,” Cease went six shoutout innings against the A’s, yielding but four hits, though I could’ve done without the three walks. The point is, Cease said he wasn’t worried about getting shelled, which was the talk. Every start since has constituted an impressive walk. The Sox hammered Oakland, 12-0, a pretty good indication of what A’s fans can expect come Opening Day. Most impressive, at least to me, was Romy Gonzalez hitting another homerun, his fourth, and Seby Zavala driving in two runs. Zavala’s nine RBIs this spring is tied with Jake Burger for the team lead. This is where things get interesting, as they always do at the end of spring training. What to do with Burger and Gonzalez? The answer would be pretty simple had GM Rick Hahn not signed Leury Garcia to a three-year extension in the winter of 2021. Garcia played hurt most of last year and looks hurt still, judging by his relative lack of playing time and .219 BA. Do you go with the productive players or play the contract? I know what I would do. Zavala has been a revelation since being dropped from the forty-man roster last spring. He hit his way back to the big leagues and established himself as a plus backup catcher to Yasmani Grandal, now in his last year of a four-year contract. So far this spring, Grandal is batting .233 to Zavala’s .289. Grandal’s hitting has been in steady decline the last two years; ditto his defense. Will Sox manager Pedro Grifol play Zavala more behind the plate while putting Grandal at first base or DH? I know what I would do.