Over the past two seasons, Chad Pinder and Mark Canha have emerged as productive hitters in their limited opportunities. Last year, the pair combined for 30 home runs, 34 doubles, and 79 RBI in 663 total at-bats. Both have continued to perform well at the plate this season, with Pinder posting a .734 OPS and Canha at .769.
With newcomers Jurickson Profar and Robbie Grossman struggling, this seems like the perfect time to give Pinder and Canha a chance to be everyday players.
The A's had high expectations for Profar when they acquired him from Texas this offseason. The 26-year-old was coming off a career year that saw him slash .254/.335/.458 with 20 home runs and 77 RBI. Profar's first season in Oakland has been a nightmare, however, both with the bat and glove. The A's second baseman is slashing a lowly .181/.247/.306 while battling the yips on defense. Profar has already committed eight errors, the most of any second baseman in the majors, and his -1.1 WAR is tied for second-worst in the American League.
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Robbie Grossman has fared a little bit better, though he's only slashing .215/.333/.346. His OPS of .679 is significantly lower than that of Canha and Pinder, who both provide far more power.
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Obviously, it's too soon to completely give up on Profar and Grossman, and there will still be a role for them down the road. But for the time being, Pinder and Canha bring more to the table and have played themselves into starting jobs.
Adding Pinder and Canha to the everyday lineup would give Oakland a legitimate power threat from every spot in the lineup. It also wouldn't be surprising to see their production increase if given more consistent at-bats, similar to what we've seen from Josh Phegley this season.
Oakland Athletics
If nothing else, a couple of lineup changes could shake up a stagnant offense and potentially help get the A's back on track. At this point, could it really hurt?