The Athletics announced that they have recalled pitching prospect Luis Medina, and optioned right-hander James Kaprielian in a corresponding move. Martin Gallegos of MLB.com reported on Medina’s promotion before the official announcement, noting that Medina is expected to make his major league debut tomorrow.
Medina, 24 next month, was signed by the Yankees as an international amateur in 2015 and quickly got himself onto the radar of prospect evaluators. By the start of 2018, he was considered the #7 prospect in that club’s system by Baseball America. As he worked his way up towards the majors, he stayed roughly in that range, bouncing between the #7 and #11 spots.
After the minor leagues were canceled by the pandemic in 2020, Medina split 2021 between High-A and Double-A, posting a 3.39 ERA in 106 1/3 innings. His 13.3% walk rate was certainly on the high side, but he paired that with a 29.5% strikeout rate. He returned to Double-A in 2022, registering a 3.38 ERA in 17 starts with similar peripherals.
He then came to the Athletics, one of four young players who came over in the deadline deal that sent Frankie Montas and Lou Trivino to the Yankees. His first stint with his new club didn’t go so well, as he had an 11.76 ERA in seven starts after the trade last year. But he seems back on track here in 2023 as he’s made three Triple-A starts with a 3.86 ERA, though the control continues to be an issue as he walked 20% of batters faced.
Despite the lack of command, Medina continues to be touted on account of his high octane stuff. BA ranked him #13 in the A’s system coming into this year. They note that he routinely touches triple digits with his fastball, in addition to having a curveball and a changeup. The Yankees added him to their 40-man roster way back in November of 2019, to protect him from that year’s Rule 5 draft, but the A’s were given a fourth option year that allowed them to send him to Triple-A this year.
He’ll now get a crack to test his stuff against big league hitters. The A’s have very little cemented in their rotation, having traded away their established players in recent years. On top of that, players like Paul Blackburn, Drew Rucinski and Freddy Tarnok have yet to appear this season due to injuries. Shintaro Fujinami struggled enough that he’s being moved to the bullpen now. Medina will jump up to join a rotation that currently consists of JP Sears, Mason Miller, Ken Waldichuk and Kyle Muller, though Rucinski is on a rehab assignment and could be in the mix soon.
Kaprielian seemed like a potential mainstay of the rotation not too long ago, making 21 starts for the A’s in 2021 and 26 more last year, posting ERAs just north of 4.00 in each of those campaigns. However, he underwent shoulder surgery in the offseason and has been lit up for a 12.94 ERA through three starts and three relief outings in the early going this year. He’ll head to Triple-A and try to get back on track.
Funky. Cold.
crickets … just like at the oakland mausoleum.
vegas just called they want a real MLB team not another AAA team.
Exactly, gonna pull back the welcome mat
Great his change up is like 102 miles per hour. I know he’s actually hit 103.
One look at his bb% rate tells you all you need to know.
Might be a demotion. The AAA team has almost twice as many wins as the MLB team…
Drew Rucinski is likely to come off the DL soon, so this likely just a Spot Start
Still, nice to get a glimpse of Medina and Mason Miller and see if they can fill a Starting pitcher Role for us soon.
Probably not he of the 1988 Topps rookie card. I thought I was going to be rich one day, having stocked up on those.
Same guy? I got his uniform at a Cub yard sale once
Nah, the real Luis Medina is 60 and is/was working in a front office somewhere. Maybe KC?
He had can’t miss written all over him. Sadly I think I saw one of his last mlb abs before the Injuns deep sixed him
Unsolicited political remark about Oakland or California or both.
The political leadership of both Oakland AND California is broken. If you doubt this, just ask one of the MANY, many businesses, or people, that are leaving.
CA remains one of the most desirable locations–look at real estate prices–and fifth largest economys in the world, ahead of the UK. TX and FL, the next two most populous states (with horrible, worsening climates), aren’t even in the top 25.
CA doesn’t have a worsening climate? Not to mention regulation is as much a factor in property cost (if not more) demand.
The CA coast is still the most beautiful strecth of property in the country and the climate is still great. The problem is the fires, which are inland. The fires ARE beginning to cause some people to leave. But the population has been up 10 of the last 12 years. In 2022 it was down 100,00. Out of 39M, that’s not much.
California crime has not gone up as much as the national average has gone up. Regulation is not the reason for high reality cost. Its because people want to work where jobs are. That is why its so much cheaper to find homes in the midwest. Only regulations that drive up home cost is making homes earthquake proof.
@utah
You don’t actually believe that, do you? (not talking about 5th largest economy)
The CA coast is the most beautiful 800-mile stretch in the country. The climate is wonderful. That and the economies of SF, SD, and LA make it a world-class destination. Rather than, say, Houston or Dallas. And then there’s Yosemite and Tahoe.
The population is being driven out by a high cost of living. I don’t think people are moving cause they got confused with the term “best states for business” and assumed it referred to employees.
@ Kayrall
Have you ever been to Cali? If so, did you ever drive along or visit the coast? Everything he said is spot on about California.
Really…such as? Conservatives love to use the same rhetoric over and over despite offering no proof, evidence or facts. But the more they say it the more they feel that it is true. Repeat the lie and make it the truth.
Athletics pitching is soo bad as soon as Ur on the roster b4 pitching an inning u have double digit ERA
Wow. Try again
Good. Time for the A’s to keep promoting all that young talent to see what they are about…
You can say that again
Good. Time for the A’s to start bringing up that young talent to see what they have…
Just FYI – wrong Luis Medina baseball reference page is linked
I see a reliever, perhaps a very good one for high-leverage situations, but understand why he’ll get his first shot as a starter.
That Montas deal looks like a bonafide fleecing of Cashman. I really like Cashman as the GM but last years trades are really coming back to bite. Brito has been ok, probably about the same as JP Sears all things considered but I wish we had Waldichuk or Medina to roll the dice on despite Clark Smidts improved start.
They’d like to have the depth back, but all the pitchers Cashman traded away have not been good.
It was a gamble on a guy that was clearly capable of dominating playoff quality lineups when healthy… just didn’t pay off. Having a guy willing to give up the talent for Castillo seems better, but worse case scenario is having a GM that goes after some obvious overhype with no track record like Mahle.
Overhyped?? Hardly, but they should have gone for Mahle.
Waldichuk has been bad as Schimidt and I am sure Yankees fans would be so understanding of Medina when he can’t find the plate and walks the entire park.
The Young Gunz Miller & Cold Medina .
Medina. One of the trio of gifted young Yankee arms David (Mr Haney) Forst conned out of Ca$hman for the broken down and worthless Frankie Montas.
Forst is spending the first half of the season figuring out which useless arm he can foist on his favorite patsy this July as he pilfers Jasson Dominguez.
Medina sucks. So does Waldichuk/
Yes, no more trades with Oakland ever.
Do you think the As are happy with what they got?