One offseason strategy the Oakland A’s routinely employ is taking a chance on a cheap veteran starting pitcher. The plan is to buy low on a flawed player with strong upside, especially an injury bounce-back candidate, which gives them minimal risk if the player flames out but also the chance for a grand reward at a bargain price — like a breakout star on a contending team (Brandon McCarthy, Bartolo Colon), or a valuable trade chip at the deadline (Scott Kazmir, Rich Hill).
However, the A’s didn’t pick up their annual veteran flyer this winter. They brought back Ross Detwiler to stash at Triple-A, but he’s not even on the 40-man roster; I’m talking about a free agent with an MLB contract, and maybe even a guaranteed rotation spot (like Hill had last spring).