THE FINAL 2 CHAIRS: Who Sits Down?

The A’s finally checked off the biggest box on the offseason grocery list: veteran starting pitching. Aaron Civale slides into a rotation that already had Luis Severino and Jeffrey Springs, giving this team three proven big-league starters — something they flat-out didn’t have last year. And that matters, because starting pitching is like having reliable tires on a race car. If they blow out, the whole thing crashes. Civale brings experience (100+ career starts) and a track record of being a mid-rotation stabilizer, even if his career ERA sits around 4.14 and injuries have popped up at times, including forearm, wrist, and hamstring issues in recent seasons. The real story, though, isn’t the top three — it’s the war happening behind them. Luis Morales looks like the favorite to grab one spot after flashing legit swing-and-miss stuff and confidence late last year, while Jacob Lopez feels like the upside play if healthy. And make no mistake: the A’s need this competition to work. The rotation posted a 4.85 ERA last season, bottom tier in baseball, and that number alone explains why this team hovered around mid-70s wins instead of sniffing October. This season is about raising the floor. Not hoping five guys stay healthy. Not duct-taping innings together. Real depth. Real options. And if two young arms step forward, suddenly this rotation goes from “please survive” to “hey… this might actually play. A's rotation battle 2026, Aaron Civale A's signing analysis, A's starting rotation competition, Luis Morales A's scouting report, Jacob Lopez A's breakout 2026, A's spring training rotation battle, A's pitching depth 2026 season, Luis Severino A's contract performance, Jeffrey Springs A's rotation role, A's playoff push pitching staff, A's starting pitching improvements, A's young pitchers MLB debut watch, A's roster battles spring training, A's pitching ERA improvement plan, A's contenders rotation breakdownEverydayer Club If you never miss an episode, it’s time to make it official. Join the Locked On Everydayer Club and get ad-free audio, access to our members-only Discord, and more — all built for our most loyal fans. Click here to learn more and join your team’s community: https://lockedonpodcasts.com/everydayerclubSupport Us By Supporting Our Sponsors! Turbo Tax For a limited time, you can have your taxes done by a local TurboTax expert for just $150 — all in, if a TurboTax expert didn’t file for you last year. Just file by February 28. Take taxes off your plate and get back to your life. Visit https://TurboTax.com/local to book your appointment today. Indeed Listeners of this show get a $75 Sponsored Job Credit to help give your job the premium placement it deserves at http://Indeed.com/podcastFanDuel Today's episode is brought to you by FanDuel. The Winter Games are on. And there’s no better way to follow them than with a bet on FanDuel. FanDuel - Play your game. FANDUEL DISCLAIMER: 21+ in select states. First online real money wager only. Bonus issued as nonwithdrawable free bets that expires in 14 days. Restrictions apply. See terms at sportsbook.fanduel.com. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit FanDuel.com/RG (CO, IA, MD, MI, NJ, PA, IL, VA, WV), 1-800-NEXT-STEP or text NEXTSTEP to 53342 (AZ), 1-888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org/chat (CT), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN), 1-800-522-4700 (WY, KS) or visit ksgamblinghelp.com (KS), 1-877-770-STOP (LA), 1-877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY), TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN) #Athletics #LasVegasAthletics #MLB Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.