Manaea, who recorded three strikeouts and allowed an earned run on four hits and three walks over 4.2 innings in a Saturday 4-1 Cactus League loss to the Mariners, came away impressed with debuting backstop Jonathan Lucroy, Jane Lee of MLB.com reports. "He's very well prepared," Manaea said, "and he definitely takes charge and controls the entire diamond. Having a guy like that, especially with the time and knowledge that he has, is huge."

EDGE Analysis

Manaea had the distinction of being the first Athletics hurler to kick the proverbial tires on Lucroy, who helped the left-hander whittle his spring ERA down to 2.53 with some savvy on-the-fly adjustments and solid overall game management. Given Jharel Cotton's season-ending elbow injury, Manaea's importance to the makeshift starting rotation increases even further. His solid spring offers reason for optimism, as do the results generated during his initial opportunity to work with his new backstop.