The A’s have outrighted Kirby Snead off their 40-man roster, as per the left-hander’s MLB.com profile page. Snead can’t reject the assignment to Triple-A since he doesn’t have enough Major League service time and because this is his first outright, but he is probably likely to become a minor league free agent.
Snead came to the Athletics as part of the Matt Chapman trade package from the Blue Jays in March 2022, and he has a 5.59 ERA over 56 1/3 relief innings for the A’s over his two seasons in the organization. Only 11 2/3 of those innings came in 2023, as a shoulder sprain suffered during Spring Training kept him on the 60-day injured list until the end of June. Snead didn’t appear in a game on the big league roster until August 1, and he made 15 appearances before being optioned to Triple-A in early September.
In the small sample size of 64 total MLB innings to his name, Snead has a 17.2% strikeout rate, 10.1% walk rate, and 42.7% grounder rate. These uninspiring numbers aren’t nearly as solid as Snead’s K% and groundball rates in the minors, and Snead’s 3.39 ERA over 273 1/3 minor league frames is also encouraging, even if the results haven’t been there with Triple-A Las Vegas in the last two seasons. Snead’s control in particular has become an issue, calling back to some problems he had earlier in his career in issuing free passes.
Assuming Snead hits the open market, the 29-year-old will catch on somewhere with a team looking for left-handed relief depth, or Snead could perhaps be a candidate to explore his options with a team overseas. A reunion with Oakland seems possible, as the A’s figure to be looking for inexpensive relief options and might pivot back to a familiar face.
unpaidobserver
World Series confirmed etc etc
Old York
Making room for a Juan Soto trade.
Paleobros
Looks like he’s not fitting their current Sneads.
julyn82001
The A’s gave plenty of opportunities to Snead. He didn’t take advantage of those opportunities, and then he got hurt. Hopefully, he rebounds showing true value…
amk1920
The A’s return for Chapman is even more pathetic for their return on Olson and Murphy.
Asfan0780
All trash returns but chapman isn’t the same hitter at least from his earlier seasons and we know he wants to get paid with Boras as his agent. I bet A’s lwt go kevin Smith eventually he can’t seem to hit mlb pitching and A’s have infield prospects coming behind him. Will gunner Hogland ever get healthy he’s the other piece left from the deal. Murphy and olson deals were disasters
Tigers3232
The return for Chapman was particularly bad. Murphy’s return netted them 2 prospects drafted in 2nd and 3rd rds and this seasons AL SB leader. Olson’s return netted 2 players drafted in 1st Shea L. and Cusick as well as Pache who was pretty highly touted. I wouldn’t call either if the returns great but I wouldn’t call them bad either.
Now what was bad was tearing that young core apart. But the returns on some were not bad.
I.M. Insane
Kirby’s need
Datashark
Snead has been garbage since 2022 – he earned that outright to AAA
I.M. Insane
Kirby Snead = Brand Yikes!
CBA_Enjoyer
By the way, Kirby Snead should be a minor league free agent. The rule states that teams can only renew minor league contracts for 7 minor league seasons. He has 8 minor league seasons. In general, anyone from before the 2018 draft class will be minor league free agents this offseason.
uvmfiji
Snead you tonight. Cuz I’m not sleeping.
Mercenary.Freddie.Freeman
What this article solidifies is if you are a GM trade with the Athletics!
goalieguy41
Is their anyone left in Oakland from the Chapman deal?
Niekro floater
Seems like A’s been outrighting alota players recently, what R they down2 on 40man roster ? So they can load up on more AAAA players ?
Redb1
Baseball is great
Patrick Tracey
Prediction- Kirby signs a minor league deal with the Marlins (reunited with bestie AJ Puk)