Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/804369
59 BAY AREA NEWS GROUP PLAY BALL ButwithMajorLeagueBaseballphasing out Oakland's revenue sharing safety net over the next four years, there is even more pressure on the A's to start phasing in their young talent. (Just in case back-to-back seasons of 94 and 93 losses aren't enough motivation.) The good news for those wary of Billy Beane trading away past top prospects: That's far less likely with the current up- and-comers. Longtime A's fans understand the cyclical nature of their franchise, which rather remarkably has followed up-and-down periods of 3-6 years dating back to the mid- 1970s. Most prognosticators project 2017 will be Year 3 of the current down cycle, but it could also be the year that things start to turn for the better. So which current A's are likely to still be A's in 2019? Starting pitchers Kendall Graveman and Sean Manaea figure to be two, and if 2016 midseason acquisition Jharel Cotton makes this year's rotation — which was looking very likely in spring training — he'd be a third. Shortstop Marcus Semien isn't free agent-eligible until 2021, so he's a good bet to stick around. Infielder Ryon Healy, catcher Bruce Maxwell and reliever Ryan Dull also should figure prominently in the future. Beyond that? While the A's would surely love to lock up Sonny Gray long term if he could deliver a bounce-back year, the financial considerations are real. He'll have just two years of team control remaining, and with good young pitching prospects in the pipeline, Gray could be a valuable trade chip. The real question, though: Who are the A's fixtures of the future? In case you're not willing to shell out for sticky summer road trips to nowhere, we've done a little advance scouting for you: