3 Athletics Who Must Finish This Season Strong

Since trading for Seth Johnson, the Athletics have really not gotten enough production from him. While it wasn't a franchise-altering trade, it was supposed to ease some of the bullpen's current concerns. In his first month with the Athletics, he had a 13.50 ERA in 4.2 IP.

August was not friendly to Johnson, but he picked up the pace in September, posting a 3.60 ERA in 10.0 innings. If he can add one or two more solid outings to his resume, he will be a lock for next season's roster. If not, we could see Johnson spend time in Triple-A Vegas to start next year.

Donovan Walton | INF

In 55 games, Donovan Walton has hit .230 with a .738 OPS since the Athletics traded for him. But this year, he is batting .267 with a solid .817 OPS. While his Athletics numbers have not quite correlated with his numbers this year, they have been significant enough to consider him for next season's roster.

However, this will be a very tall task. If the Athletics decide to use their club option for Jeff McNeil, the odds of Walton being with the team next year go down significantly. On top of that, Alika Williams and Joshua Kuroda-Grauer could serve as better replacements if Walton is unable to make his mark in these last few games.

Carlos Cortes | OF

Similar to Walton, Cortes has been great for the Athletics this season, but with added roster competition, he will need to finish the season very strong - something he has already started to do well. In his last game vs. the Angels, he went 2-for-2 with an RBI triple and a two-run home run.

Right now, the Athletics outfield has become very crowded. With Denzel Clarke back, Henry Bolte emerging as a superstar, Zack Gelof getting time in left field, and star Tyler Soderstrom in the mix, it is clear that there is little room for error if Cortes wants a solid spot next season.