How David Forst thinks state of MLB free-agent market will impact A's

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During an interview last offseason on MLB Network, Indians manager Terry Francona joked he was upping his score in a game on his phone. That's how he described the "excitement" of the Winter Meetings.

Not much happened.

This year in San Diego, things could be different.

"It does seem like the narrative has been less about the starring free-agent market," A's general manager David Forst said Thursday on a conference call. "You know, we always kind of go at our own pace here. I think we have a good track record of targeting the players that we think fit for us and moving at our own pace."

Jurickson Profar also will be heading to San Diego, but as a member of the Padres. He was the first major trade of the A's offseason with catcher Austin Allen and a player to be named later coming back to Oakland in the deal. 

"I don't know that we're gonna be affected by what is going on in the rest of the industry, but it is nice that there's less of a narrative of how slow and boring things are and hopefully that continues next week," Forst said.

That narrative possibly being gone means Ken Rosenthal will continue to lose sleep and perhaps means the A's will get aggressive. 

[RELATED: A's remain in talks with Blake Treinen]

With the loss of Profar, Franklin Barreto and Jorge Mateo will get a chance to make an impression at spring training along with Sheldon Neuse who played at second base a bit last season. The A's, however, aren't set on the infield. 

"But we do continue to look for a left-handed option in the infield," Forst added.

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