For years, you knew the name Franklin Barreto was coming in the A's pipeline.
And for the last few seasons, it always felt like the hard-swinging righty was one more showcase away from turning the corner and becoming an everyday player in the big league lineup.
But for a multitude of complex reasons and bad timing, sustained opportunities and that eventual breakthrough for Barreto never arrived.
Marcus Semien became the unquestioned shortstop. Jed Lowrie was a mainstay at second base, followed by Jurickson Profar, and now Tony Kemp with Chad Pinder.
Barreto understandably struggled with the difficult, limited and irregular roles in between.