Just as a disastrous bullpen ruined the Oakland A's 2015 season, the collapse of the starting rotation ended any hopes of competing in 2016. Chris Bassitt and Felix Doubront needed Tommy John surgery right out of the gate, Sonny Gray and Jesse Hahn inexplicably lost their mojo, Kendall Graveman began the year on a slump, and top rookie Sean Manaea hasn't served as an immediate savior.
With guys like Eric Surkamp and Zach Neal making starts, the A's have often found themselves out of games within the first hour. The rest of the roster hasn't been perfect, but the rotation has been the biggest weakness, especially with its one bright spot (Rich Hill) missing a month on the DL.