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The As could not a sume any of their top three prospects would be able to play at all in MLB this season, let alone make the Lamar Jackson Jersey postseason roster, when the front office stayed relatively quiet at the trade deadline.Left-hander A.J. Puk was rehabbing an elbow injury, and fellow southpaw Jesus Luzardo was shut down with a lat strainat the time. Catcher Sean Murphy just reinjured the knee he had surgery on earlier in the year.So, it was a gamble for Oaklands front office to only acquire left-hander Jake Diekman at the deadline, supplementing its underachieving bullpen but not addre sing its offensive depth at all. The organization's restrained approach showed outsizedfaith in its MLB relief corps in particular, as well as the health of its big-league backstops.Two months later,the As know they probably would not have made the postseason if not for theirrookies coming up to provideexcellent Septembers for manager Bob Melvin. Puk and Luzardo formed a crucial duo able to pitch multiple innings in tight games, helping revive a wheezing bullpen sickened by the sudden declines of Lou Trivino, Blake Treinen and Joakim Soria. Murphy, meanwhile, slashed .250/.339/. ****** in September and offered a strong defensive presence behind the plate. He uplifted the catcher position and became a bench weapon to the squad in the games he did not Orlando Brown Jr. Jersey start.Oakland's rookie triowill be relied uponto producein important moments this postseason, filling gaps veterans have struggled to secure."You see it around baseball now, there being more put on the younger players," Melvin said. "They've been significant for us here, and my gue s is they'll continue to be. ... We're lucky to have (them)."MORE: Puk and Luzardo hold defined roles for Wednesdays wild-card game against the Rays. It is a near certainty one if not both pitch out of the bullpen in the middle innings. Melvin will aggre sively monitor the performance Matt Skura Jersey of starter Sean Manaea, who has performed well since returning from shoulder surgery (1.21 ERA) but is still at risk of fatigue. And Puk and Luzardo, respectively ranked the No. ****** and No. 12prospects in baseball by MLB.com entering the year, are easy choices to form a bridge toward end-of-game options such as Liam Hendriks. Veteran Mike Fiers, who was a Marlon Humphrey Jersey starter during the regular season, could also chip in there.Murphys place in the wild-card tilt is le s clear. While he is a better offensive option against a right-handed starter like Charlie Morton, Josh Phegley offers more experience behind the dish. Murphy played in ****** September games and received ****** at-bats; Phegley featured in ****** and had ****** at-bats. It is unclear which one Kenneth Dixon Jersey will start.Even if he does not crack the lineup, though, Murphy would be a viable pinch-hit option. The team has not had a catcher good enough to substitute in at the plate since it platooned John Jaso and Derek Norris five years ago. It is a luxury for Melvin to have one in his toolbox.The A's likely would have found it tough to overcome the Rays and Indians without Puk, Luzardo and Murphy, given a late-season schedule that included trips to New York and Houston."As long as they can continue to perform like this," Melvin said, "we'll look for ways to get them involved."