Athletics' Ryon Healy: Expected to play mostly first base, DH in 2017

Athletics general manager David Forst suggested Wednesday that Healy would see most of his at-bats at first base and designated hitter in 2017, MLB.com's Jane Lee reports.

Analysis:

Healy wasn't viewed as a high-end prospect in the organization heading into 2016, but upon getting promoted to the big leagues in mid-July, he quickly established himself as a building block for the Athletics, finishing with a .305/.337/.524 slash line in 283 plate appearances. He's still expected to see something resembling full-time starting duties during the upcoming season, but after the Athletics officially inked Trevor Plouffe to a one-year contract Wednesday, it looks like he'll have to move to the other side of the diamond after playing primarily third base during his rookie campaign. Opposing starting pitching will likely dictate whether Healy slots in as a first base or DH option in most games, though regardless of how he's deployed, the 25-year-old looks like he could be an underrated power asset after flashing major skills in that area in his first exposure to big-league pitching.