A’s Coco Crisp might be just what team needs this season
If he’s healthy, and should Billy Burns be injured or have any sort of sophomore slump, the A’s will not hesitate to stick Crisp back in his old spot.
If they move me back and forth — they asked me if that was OK — I told them whatever I can do to help the team, I feel confident in any spot.
Just put me out there and I’ll give it my all, said Crisp, who is likely to be in center and batting leadoff Friday in the A’s Cactus League home opener against Milwaukee.
Crisp is wearing a brace on his right wrist to prevent the type of issues he had with it last year, and he appears to be in sensational condition.
“He looks great, just watching him move around in the outfield, his swings at the plate — he looks like he’s feeling good,” catcher Stephen Vogt said.
When you see someone in the latter part of their career with some injuries, people might not talk about them as much.
There’s some thought that, given Crisp’s injury history — nine times on the DL, including six with Oakland — that the club might decide to swallow the rest of his $13 million deal if he is hurt early in the season, particularly should his neck problem reoccur.
Crisp is an outstanding pinch hitter, and even if he can fill only that role, he could be valuable.
“As an older guy, I know my strengths and weakness, and I try to play to my strengths, always,” Crisp said of his pinch-hitting prowess.
Everything throughout my career has made me a better player, a better hitter, so I try to take the same approach I do as if I’m playing the whole nine.
Hopefully, I can be as successful with those at-bats, whether it’s to move the runner over, have an extended at-bat, get the reliever to throw more pitches so he’s maybe not available the next night.