We all love Kurt Suzuki and Andrew Bailey, but Dallas Braden is the next player the A's need to lock up long-term.
All the starting pitching hype coming into the season was centered on former All-Stars Justin Duchscherer and Ben Sheets coming back from a 2009 season lost to injuries, and the expected growth of young Brett Anderson looking to follow up his brilliant rookie campaign.
Oh, and there was that big spring training battle for the fifth rotation spot between Gio Gonzalez and Trevor Cahill.
Not that Braden didn't have noise of his own. Braden was also coming off an injury that left him sidelined from August 2009 on.
Braden dealt with a bizarre foot rash, which ultimately led to numbness in his foot. People had to be questioning how healthy and effective Braden would be.
No one's asking now.
Four starts into the season, Braden has been a consistent workhorse carrying the A's rotation. He owns a 3-0 record to go along with a sparkling 2.77 ERA. Braden's 18 strikeouts match the total of hits he's allowed in 26 innings so far.
Factor in just four walks allowed by Braden and his WHIP (walks and hits per inning pitched) is an even shinier 0.85.
A doctor's report in spring training warned Braden against playing one day. Braden defied the doctor and pitched anyway.
Today, Braden pitched six effective innings against a dominant Yankee offense—while very sick. If Braden's feeling better, he probably throws a complete game or at least through the eighth inning.
Sure, Sheets, Duchscherer, Anderson, and Gonzalez have all turned in brilliant outings, but each has also turned in a lackluster performance as well. Braden has answered the call and is the leader of this pitching staff. Hands down.
Braden is also not afraid to lead by more than performance either. Today, despite feeling ill, Braden showed off his fiery spirit by barking at a Yankees slugger for breaking an unwritten rule while jogging across the pitcher's mound in the middle of the inning.
Some argue "Who cares? It's an arbitrary courtesy!" Braden is making a very small fraction of Rodriguez' annual salary, but he's not afraid to defend what he believes in anyway.
That's the bulldog the A's need.
It's a shame he can only start every fifth game. I expect Braden to keep up the pace this season, and I wouldn't be surprised if he winds up representing the A's at the All-Star game this year.
Numb foot or not, lock up this kid. He's the fiery personality the A's need to keep around.
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