Did the Oakland A’s demote two stars over fan protest?

Article content

Things have not been going well for the Oakland Athletics for a few years now and they seem to only be making things worse for themselves.

Article content

On Monday, the team sent outfielder Esteury Ruiz down to the minors despite his excellent start to the season. Ruiz, who led the American League in stolen bases last season with 67, was hitting a team-leading .429 in three games and had an OPS of 1.232, second on the team.

Article content

A’s general manager David Forst, however, said that Ruiz actually needs to get on base more.

“We saw some better at-bats this spring, but the reality is, to use his skills, he needs to get on base,” Forst told reporters on Monday. “He needs to be able to do that on a consistent basis.”

Article content

Article content

To some observers, it sure seemed like he was doing that, not to mention that Ruiz had sparked the team to victory on Sunday against Cleveland.

…

Article content

While it is a solid conspiracy theory, Ruiz’s demotion could be chalked up to less sinister but still shady reasons: MLB service time manipulation. While he “develops” in the minors, the clock is stopped on his accrual of time in the majors and, in turn, that sets back when he’ll be eligible for free agency and bigger contracts.

Rooker hasn’t been lighting it up so far, either. The outfielder has gone 0-for-11 to start the season with nine strikeouts.

Fans in Oakland have been protesting the ownership’s refusal to work with the city of Oakland to build a new stadium, with the team now set to relocate to Las Vegas. The move has been met with derision by many and an A’s exhibition game played this spring in the desert oasis was moderately attended.

Fans have been staying away from the Coliseum as well, however.