OAKLAND, Calif. -- It's not a matter of if Jesús Luzardo pitches for the A's this season, it's a matter of when.
MLB Pipeline recently ranked the 21-year-old left-hander as the second-best pitching prospect in all of baseball. Last season, Luzardo soared through the A's farm system, moving from Single-A all the way to Triple-A in a matter of months.
With Oakland's need for starting pitching, it would seem like a foregone conclusion that Luzardo should make the A's Opening Day roster. But there are several factors the team must take into account.
"It's really up to us to try to identify when he's ready," A's manager Bob Melvin said.