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Francisco Perez Francisco Perez Back in Oakland
Wed, Feb 14, 2024, 3:36 PM
Perez re-signed Thursday with the Athletics on a minor-league contract.
Analysis: Just one day after he elected free agency upon being outrighted off Oakland's 40-man roster, Perez opted to stick with the organization on a new deal. The 26-year-old lefty made 17 appearances at the big-league level in 2023, logging a 5.94 ERA and 1.50 WHIP over 16.2 innings. |
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Aaron Brooks Aaron Brooks Catches on with Oakland
Wed, Feb 14, 2024, 3:33 PM
Brooks signed a minor-league contract with the Athletics on Friday.
Analysis: Brooks will begin his third stint with the Athletics organization, after previously seeing big-league action with the club in the 2015 season and during the 2018 and 2019 seasons. He spent the entire 2023 season in the minors with the Padres' Triple-A affiliate in El Paso, logging a 4.95 ERA, 1.47 WHIP and 51:20 K:BB in 63.2 innings. Brooks will likely open the 2024 campaign as a member of Triple-A Las Vegas' bullpen. |
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Ken Waldichuk Ken Waldichuk Opens season on 60-day IL
Wed, Feb 14, 2024, 1:13 PM
The Athletics placed Waldichuk (elbow) on the 60-day injured list Wednesday.
Analysis: Though Waldichuk has been cleared to play catch at the outset of spring training, he'll need at least two months to complete his throwing progression and get stretched out over a multi-start rehab assignment before he's ready to make his 2024 debut for Oakland. The southpaw was shut down for most of the offseason after he underwent surgery in October to address a UCL sprain as well as flexor tendon damage in his throwing arm. |
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Ken Waldichuk Ken Waldichuk Ready to throw
Wed, Feb 14, 2024, 10:55 AM
Waldichuk (elbow) was cleared to play catch Wednesday and could be throwing bullpen sessions by the end of spring training, Martin Gallegos of MLB.com reports.
Analysis: The left-hander is not expected to be ready for the start of the season, but ramping up his throwing program during spring training would be encouraging after he underwent surgery to repair UCL damage in his left elbow in October. Assuming there are no further complications, Waldichuk could theoretically be ready for game action by late April or early May. |
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Scott Alexander Scott Alexander Receives contract from Oakland
Wed, Feb 14, 2024, 9:35 AM
Alexander signed a one-year contract with the Athletics on Wednesday, Martin Gallegos of MLB.com reports.
Analysis: Alexander is coming off a down 2023 campaign, having posted a 4.66 ERA, 1.37 WHIP and 31:11 K:BB in 48.1 innings for the Giants. He entered last year with a career 3.00 ERA over parts of eight major-league seasons, however, so the A's will be hoping for something closer to that version. The sinkerballer will provide Oakland with a lefty relief option. |
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Stephen Piscotty Stephen Piscotty Rejoins Oakland
Tue, Feb 13, 2024, 7:31 PM
Piscotty signed a minor-league deal with the Athletics on Feb. 3, which includes an invitation to spring training.
Analysis: Piscotty enjoyed his best season in the majors with the Athletics in 2018. His performance has consistently declined since, which led to him being released by the White Sox late in the 2023 season after playing exclusively in the minors throughout the season. Even considering Oakland's uninspiring lineup, it doesn't appear likely that Piscotty will have a clear path to the big-league roster out of spring training. |
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Joe Boyle Joe Boyle Could garner No. 5 spot
Mon, Feb 12, 2024, 10:57 PM
Boyle, who impressed in a trio of late-season starts in 2023, could have an edge for the No. 5 role in the Athletics' rotation to open the season, Martin Gallegos of MLB.com reports.
Analysis: Gallegos reports general manager David Forst has already strongly implied that Paul Blackburn, JP Sears, Alex Wood and Ross Stripling -- the latter two veteran offseason additions -- will unsurprisingly slot into the top four spots in the rotation. Southpaw Ken Waldichuk (elbow) may eventually join that group when healthy, but he's not expected to be ready for the start of the season; therefore, Boyle, who went 2-0 with a 1.69 ERA and 0.81 WHIP across his first three major-league starts last September, could slot into that No. 5 role coming out of spring training. However, he'll have some reasonably experienced competition, including holdovers Luis Medina, Freddy Tarnok (hip) and Adrian Martinez, |
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Dany Jimenez Dany Jimenez Most experienced closing candidate
Tue, Feb 6, 2024, 11:26 PM
Jimenez is viewed by A's general manager David Forst as the most experienced candidate vying for the team's closer role this spring, Martin Gallegos of MLB.com reports.
Analysis: Jimenez will enter 2024 with 61 major-league appearances, which have encompassed 59 innings. The right-hander has converted 12 of 16 save chances and also recorded 11 holds in that span, generating a solid 3.43 ERA and 1.14 WHIP in the process. Forst adds that journeyman Trevor Gott, who signed a one-year deal in December, is also under consideration for some ninth-inning opportunities, while Mason Miller, who's worked almost exclusively as a starter in his three-year professional career thus far, is considered to have excellent stuff for the role and is firmly in contention for it as well. |
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Ken Waldichuk Ken Waldichuk Likely to miss start of season
Fri, Feb 2, 2024, 5:48 PM
Waldichuk (elbow) likely won't be ready for the start of the season, Martin Gallegos of MLB.com reports.
Analysis: Waldichuk underwent surgery in October to repair the damage done to his left UCL and flexor during his final start of 2023. Athletics general manager David Forst didn't offer a timeline for Waldichuk's return during Friday's call with reporters, so it remains unclear when the 26-year-old southpaw will be able to return to Oakland's rotation. Last year, Waldichuk put up a 5.36 ERA and 1.56 WHIP in 141 innings -- his highest workload in a season since he was drafted in 2019. |
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Jonah Bride Jonah Bride DFA'd by Oakland
Fri, Feb 2, 2024, 12:53 PM
Bride was designated for assignment by the Athletics on Friday.
Analysis: Bride appeared in 98 games for the A's over the past two seasons, but his .192/.296/.232 slash line wasn't enough for him to retain a spot on the 40-man roster ahead of spring training. The move clears space for Ross Stripling, who was acquired Friday from San Francisco. |
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Ross Stripling Ross Stripling Lands in Oakland via trade
Fri, Feb 2, 2024, 12:46 PM
The Athletics acquired Stripling and cash considerations from the Giants on Friday in exchange for Jonah Cox.
Analysis: Stripling's one season in San Francisco was a disappointment, as he posted a 5.36 ERA, 1.35 WHIP and 70:16 K:BB across 89 innings covering 11 starts and 11 relief appearances. The 34-year-old will slide into the Athletics' rotation and gets to pitch in a favorable home environment. However, Stripling doesn't pitch deep into games and that, along with a lack of support from the putrid Oakland offense, means wins figure to be hard to come by. |
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Alex Wood Alex Wood Agrees to deal with Athletics
Sat, Jan 27, 2024, 7:26 PM
Wood agreed to terms on a contract with the Athletics on Saturday, Robert Murray reports.
Analysis: The particulars of the deal aren't known yet, and it is pending a physical. Wood made 12 starts and 17 relief appearances last season with the Giants, holding a 4.33 ERA, 1.43 WHIP and 74:42 K:BB over 97.2 innings. The 33-year-old left-hander will slide into Oakland's rotation and the club will hope he can have a nice first half so it can trade him to a contender at the deadline. |
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Carlos Perez Carlos Perez Back with Oakland
Fri, Jan 12, 2024, 11:54 AM
Perez signed a minor-league contract with the Athletics on Jan. 5.
Analysis: Perez elected free agency after being removed from the A's 40-man roster back in October, but he wound up re-signing. The 33-year-old catcher collected a .650 OPS in 66 games for Oakland in 2023 in what was his first action in the majors since 2018. |
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Paul Blackburn Paul Blackburn Avoids arbitration
Thu, Jan 11, 2024, 2:09 PM
Blackburn agreed to a one-year, $3.45 million contract with Oakland on Thursday, avoiding arbitration.
Analysis: Blackburn will remain Oakland's highest-paid pitcher. The 30-year-old righty has made 20-plus starts in back-to-back seasons and is useable in deeper leagues as a home streamer against teams like the Angels. He had a 3.57 ERA, 1.32 WHIP and 54 strikeouts in 53 innings at home last season. |
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Seth Brown Seth Brown Avoids arbitration
Thu, Jan 11, 2024, 1:42 PM
Brown agreed to a one-year, $2.6 million contract with the Athletics on Thursday, avoiding arbitration, Jon Morosi of MLB Network reports.
Analysis: This makes Brown the second-highest paid position player on Oakland's roster, behind Aledmys Diaz. The former was a replacement-level player (0.0 fWAR) in 112 games last season, slashing .222/.286/.405 with 14 home runs. |
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Sean Newcomb Sean Newcomb Undergoes right knee surgery
Wed, Dec 20, 2023, 4:08 PM
Newcomb underwent arthroscopic surgery on his right knee Wednesday, Martin Gallegos of MLB.com reports.
Analysis: Newcomb also required surgery on his left knee in September, but he is expected to be fully recovered from both procedures by the time spring training opens in February. The 30-year-old left-hander posted a 3.00 ERA, 1.13 WHIP and 17:9 K:BB over 15 innings (two starts, five relief appearances) last season when healthy. He projects to operate in a swingman role for the Athletics in 2024. |
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Gerson Moreno Gerson Moreno Inks MiLB deal with A's
Sat, Dec 16, 2023, 1:06 PM
Moreno signed a minor-league contract with the Athletics on Saturday.
Analysis: Moreno spent all of last season with the Nationals' Triple-A affiliate, logging a solid 3.14 ERA and 1.31 WHIP through 71.2 frames. The 28-year-old righty has yet to appear in a major-league game, but he may have a chance to debut this season given the Athletics' lackluster bullpen. |
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Trevor Gott Trevor Gott Lands with Oakland
Fri, Dec 15, 2023, 7:06 PM
Gott signed a one-year contract Friday with the Athletics, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reports.
Analysis: Gott registered a decent 4.19 ERA and 62:19 K:BB in 58 innings of relief last season between the Mariners and Mets while holding right-handed batters to a .222/.280/.306 slash line. The 31-year-old is now with his seventh different MLB team and projects to fill a high-leverage role in Oakland's patchwork bullpen. |
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Gerardo Reyes Gerardo Reyes Gets minors deal from A's
Fri, Dec 15, 2023, 3:05 PM
Reyes signed a minor-league contract with the Athletics on Sunday.
Analysis: Reyes struggled to get going last season, allowing eight runs in 9.2 major-league innings while posting a 5.58 ERA and 1.57 WHIP in Triple-A. Despite Reyes' lack of success, the Athletics' unstable bullpen situation keeps his chances of appearing in the majors next season alive. |
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Mason Miller Mason Miller Could see work as closer
Mon, Dec 4, 2023, 8:02 PM
The Athletics could use Miller as a closer in 2024, Martin Gallegos of MLB.com reports.
Analysis: General manager David Forst mentioned using Miller out of the bullpen to start the 2024 campaign citing the flamethrower's prior health issues. The right-hander dealt with a UCL sprain in his elbow last season, which forced him to miss the majority of the year. Forst stated that the club would like to see Miller get through an entire season before thinking about building him back up as a starter, per Gallegos. |
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