What's the offseason plan for A's second baseman Joey Wendle?
Playing more baseball, of course.
The rookie is heading to Mexico for winter ball, and the plan is to play third base while he's down there. That's one nugget that Wendle shared during this week's "A's Insider Podcast," which can be found at csncalifornia.com.
"The A's like to use guys that are versatile, so I'm looking forward to it," Wendle said. "I think it's going to be a good experience."
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He plans to leave for Mexico shortly after the regular season ends and play for about six weeks, returning home before Thanksgiving.
Wendle has made a nice impression since getting his first major league call-up, hitting .288 with a homer and nine RBI in 19 games and generally providing a spark in the leadoff spot. He's also made some nice plays defensively.
Oakland Athletics
His winter agenda is similar to that last year of Max Muncy, who played in Mexico with the idea of getting acclimated at second base after being primarily a corner infielder. The A's roving minor league infield instructor, Juan Navarrete, has ties in Mexico and helps get Oakland players a roster spot down there.
Just speculation here, but the A's might envision Wendle as a versatile backup infielder next year, capable of playing on the left side of the infield too. A lot could depend on the status of incumbent second baseman Jed Lowrie, who recently underwent foot surgery. Lowrie is under contract through next season.
There's much more worth checking out on the podcast, including Wendle's mentality in the leadoff spot.
"I'm probably not a guy that's going to take 100 walks over the course of the season," he said.
