MESA, Ariz. -- A's top pitching prospect A.J. Puk was among Sunday's roster cuts, putting to rest any conjecture about his chances of landing in the Opening Day rotation.
With Puk performing better than several starting candidates this spring, speculation was running rampant about the lefty's potential to skip the Triple-A level entirely and enter the big leagues. The A's have opted for the seemingly safer choice, while also ensuring they don't burn a year of the pitcher's service time.
The move came less than 24 hours after executive vice president of baseball operations Billy Beane voiced his opinion on the matter, stating, "The preferred route is not to jump a kid after half a year in Double-A.