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NL West Notes: McCarthy, Barnhart, Molina, Slater

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The Diamondbacks have gotten a lot of trade interest in outfielder Jake McCarthy but Arizona isn’t yet interested in dealing the 26-year-old, USA Today’s Bob Nightengale writes.  This isn’t the first time McCarthy’s name has surfaced in trade rumors, though the buzz quieted after McCarthy turned in a lackluster 2023 season.  The outfielder finished fourth in NL Rookie of the Year voting in 2022, but followed up that breakout campaign by hitting only .243/.318/.326 over 312 plate appearances last season.  McCarthy’s struggles resulted in a loss of playing time and even a demotion to Triple-A, plus an oblique injury kept him from being a part of Arizona’s postseason rosters during the team’s run to the World Series.

Randal Grichuk is expected to begin the season on the injured list, so McCarthy should probably land a job as the Diamondbacks’ fourth outfielder for at least the start of the year.  He also has a minor league option remaining, so the D’Backs could stash him back at Triple-A if necessary.  It is worth noting that the D’Backs were reportedly open to moving either McCarthy or Dominic Fletcher in February’s trade with the White Sox that sent Fletcher to Chicago, though in the wake of that deal, Arizona might not be willing to further deplete their stock of young outfielders by also moving McCarthy in another trade.  Nightengale feels McCarthy might be more of a trade chip later in the season, if the Diamondbacks are having trouble finding playing time or a roster spot available for him.

More from around the NL West…

  • Minor league signing Tucker Barnhart looks to have won the Diamondbacks’ backup catching job, as The Arizona Republic’s Nick Piecoro (X link) was among those to note that the D’Backs optioned Jose Herrera to Triple-A today.  Herrera acted as Gabriel Moreno’s backup last season once Carson Kelly was let go in August, but Arizona will now turn to the veteran Barnhart as a more experienced bench option.  Barnhart has won two Gold Gloves over his 10 MLB seasons, spent mostly with the Reds before one-year stints with the Tigers and Cubs over the last two seasons.
  • Right-hander Anthony Molina will make the Rockies’ Opening Day roster, according to MLB.com’s Thomas Harding (via X).  Selected as the third overall pick of the Rule 5 Draft last December, Molina was an international signing for the Rays who posted a 3.64 ERA over 301 2/3 innings in Tampa Bay’s farm system, including a 4.37 ERA in 55 2/3 Triple-A frames last season.  The 22-year-old worked mostly as a starter last year but now looks slated for a bullpen role in Colorado.  As per the stipulations of the Rule 5 Draft, Molina will have to remain on the Rockies’ active roster for the entire season in order for the Rox to claim his rights, or else Colorado will have to offer him back to the Rays.
  • Austin Slater returned to the field yesterday and is also set to play in today’s game, marking the Giants outfielder’s first action since last weekend.  Slater has been bothered by discomfort in his right elbow, which is a troubling sign since Slater underwent surgery on that same elbow last October to both remove a bone spur and address some nerve problems via an ulnar nerve transposition.  His recovery led to a slower start to his Cactus League work, and Slater has played in only six games this spring, so manager Bob Melvin told the San Francisco Chronicle’s Shayna Rubin and other reporters that Slater might need to start the season on the injured list.  As Slater himself told Rubin and company, “The quantity of at-bats, I’m not super concerned about.  It’s more about feeling healthy and being able to bounce back the next day which, at this point, I haven’t been able to do.”  If Slater isn’t available for Opening Day, Luis Matos is the likeliest candidate to step into the backup/platoon outfield role.

Matt Duffy Opts Out Of Minors Contract With Rangers

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Infielder Matt Duffy has exercised the opt-out clause in his minor league deal with the Rangers, Jon Heyman of the New York Post reports (via X).  Last Friday was the deadline for Article XX(B) free agents like Duffy to use the opt-out clauses in the minors contracts, thus giving their teams 48 hours to decide on either releasing the player or adding them to the Opening Day roster.  Since Texas isn’t including Duffy on the 26-man roster, the 33-year-old will now return to the open market.

Duffy began his MLB career as a member of the Giants’ world championship team in 2014, and then finished second in NL Rookie of the Year voting in 2015.  Since that impressive start, Duffy has mostly settled into a part-time and utilityman role, mostly playing third base but also getting a lot of time at the other three infield positions plus a handful of games as a left fielder.

Over the last three seasons, Duffy has appeared in 252 of a possible 486 games with the Cubs in 2021, the Angels in 2022, and the Royals last year.  Duffy signed one-year contracts with all three clubs (only the L.A. deal was guaranteed) and had about league-average production with Chicago over 322 plate appearances but his bat has gone cold in the last two seasons.  Since Opening Day 2022, Duffy hit just .251/.307/.317 in 456 PA with the Halos and Royals.

Texas signed Duffy back in January to provide some experienced depth behind younger backup infielders Ezequiel Duran and Josh Smith.  As the season is set to begin, the Rangers seem comfortable enough with Duran and Smith that Duffy’s services won’t be required.  Any excess roster space the Rangers might’ve had will now be taken up by top prospect Wyatt Langford and another minor league signing in Jared Walsh, who seems to be on track to have his contract selected as a temporary first-base fill-in for the injured Nathaniel Lowe.

Rockies Release Bradley Zimmer

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The Rockies have released outfielder Bradley Zimmer, the Denver Post’s Patrick Saunders reports (X link).  Zimmer was in camp on a minor league deal, but became expendable when the Rox acquired another left-handed outfield option in Jake Cave via a trade with the Phillies earlier today.

While Cave’s numbers have been shaky at best over the last four seasons, Cave still bring more offensive upside than Zimmer, who has hit .213/.298/.333 over 975 career plate appearances in the bigs from 2017-22.  Zimmer was a top-100 prospect during his time in Cleveland’s farm system, but his bat simply hasn’t translated against Major League pitching.  Now entering his age-32 season, Zimmer has still carved out a niche for himself as a backup outfielder and pinch-runner due to his excellent speed (42 steals in 50 career chances) and all-fields defense.

This skillset gives Zimmer a pretty decent chance of catching on with another team in need of extra defensive help, whether as upper minors depth or on the bench of a big league roster.  Zimmer last appeared in the majors in 2022 as a member of the Blue Jays, and he spent last season playing with the Triple-A affiliates of the Dodgers and Red Sox.

Red Sox To Select Joely Rodriguez; C.J. Cron Granted Release

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TODAY: The Red Sox released Cron and informed Rodriguez that he made the roster, according to Alex Speier of the Boston Globe (X link).

MARCH 22: First baseman C.J. Cron and left-hander Joely Rodriguez have both exercised the uniform opt-out provision in their minor league contracts with the Red Sox, reports Alex Speier of the Boston Globe. Both players were Article XX(B) free agents — six-plus years of service time, finished the season on a major league roster or injured list — who signed minor league contracts and were thus granted a trio of mandatory opt-out opportunities: five days prior to Opening Day (today), May 1 and June 1. The Red Sox will now have 48 hours to either put Cron and/or Rodriguez on the 40-man roster. They’ll have to release either player if they decide against carrying him on the Opening Day roster.

Cron, 34, has four seasons of 25-plus homers under his belt and was consistently an above-average hitter from 2014-22. Back and neck injuries tanked his 2023 season, limiting him to 278 plate appearances with a .248/.295/.434 slash, but he has a strong track record of hitting for power — with largely even platoon splits. From 2018-22, Cron piled up 2290 plate appearances and hit .260/.331/.490 with 116 home runs. He’s only had 15 plate appearances this spring, during which he’s 2-for-11 with three walks and two strikeouts. The Red Sox are set at first base and DH with Triston Casas and Masataka Yoshida, but Cron could serve as a right-handed complement/insurance to either or perhaps some right-handed pop off the bench.

Rodriguez, 32, was with the Sox in 2023 but pitched just 11 innings due to oblique, shoulder and hip injuries that combined to result in three different stints on the injured list. He posted a 6.55 ERA in his short time on the mound, striking out 27.5% of his opponents against an 11.8% walk rate and 45.2% ground-ball rate.

It wasn’t a strong year overall for Rodriguez, but the lefty has posted far better numbers over the three preceding seasons in his return from an excellent two-year stint in Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball. From 2020-22, Rodriguez pitched 109 1/3 frames between the Rangers, Yankees and Mets, working to a 4.28 ERA with even more encouraging secondary marks. Rodriguez fanned 25.5% of his opponents in that time and induced grounders at a huge 55.7% clip. His 10.3% walk rate was still a couple ticks north of the league average, but the lefty offered an enticing blend of missed bats and grounders while excelling at keeping the ball in the park (0.58 HR/9). Metrics like FIP (3.14) and SIERA (3.51) were rather bullish on his work.

Rodriguez has had a strong showing this spring, holding opponents to a pair of runs on nine hits and three walks with nine strikeouts in seven innings of relief. He’s also recorded a massive 61.9% ground-ball rate. He seems like he has a decent shot to make the roster, and even if the Sox don’t add him, the left-hander should command interest elsewhere.

Angels Release Drew Pomeranz

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The Angels announced that left-hander Drew Pomeranz has been released from his minor league contract with the team.  Pomeranz and Jake Marisnick were two Article XX(B) free agents who had the ability to opt out of their minor league deals on Friday if they weren’t added to the Angels’ Opening Day roster, and while Pomeranz is moving on, Jeff Fletcher of the Southern California News Group writes that Marisnick won’t make the team but isn’t exercising his opt-out clause.

Pomeranz hasn’t pitched in a big league game since August 2021, as the southpaw underwent a flexor tendon surgery that has essentially put his career on hold.  Pomeranz has tossed only 10 1/3 minor league innings over the 2022-23 seasons due to a number of setbacks, including an unspecified “cleanup surgery” in his throwing elbow last May.  His eight innings of relief work in the Angels’ spring camp actually represents one of his longer stretches of pitching in a while, and Pomeranz posted a 5.63 ERA over those eight frames and nine appearances.

The Padres signed Pomeranz to a four-year, $34MM deal in the 2019-20 offseason, betting that his impressive results as a full-time relief pitcher late in the 2019 season with the Brewers would continue in the coming years.  Pomeranz had a 1.62 ERA over 44 1/3 innings up until the time of his flexor surgery, cutting short what seemed to be a very promising new chapter of his career as a bullpen weapon.

The four-year contract expired at the end of the 2023 campaign, putting Pomeranz back onto the open market and landing in Los Angeles on a minors contract.  Now entering his age-35 season, nobody would blame Pomeranz if he chose to call it a career in the wake of so many injury woes, though it would be equally unsurprising if he continued to seek out another minor league deal if he is finally feeling healthy for the first time in years.  Given his past pedigree, another club could well bring him into the fold on a minors contract in order to see what the left-hander still has in the tank.

Latest On Jordan Montgomery’s Market

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With less than a week remaining until Opening Day, left-hander Jordan Montgomery stands alone as the clear top free agent remaining on the market. That could change in the coming days, however, as Jim Bowden reported on MLB Network Radio this morning that the southpaw’s camp has two “long-term” offers on the table and that he could sign somewhere as soon as this week. It’s unclear which teams have made an offer to Montgomery at this point, though he’s be connected to the Yankees and Red Sox in recent weeks.

One club it appears is not among the two teams to have made an offer to Montgomery at this point is Philadelphia, though that’s not to say the Phillies don’t have interest in the lefty. According to USA Today’s Bob Nightengale, the Phillies are “internally discussing” a pursuit of Montgomery, though he adds that a decision on whether or not to contact Montgomery’s agent, Scott Boras, about a potential deal has not yet been made. Meanwhile, MLB.com’s Todd Zolecki reported recently that the Phillies had previously shown interest in Montgomery on a one-year deal prior to the start of Spring Training last month, though he adds that the club’s interest has “cooled” in the weeks since camp began.

All of that would seem to indicate that Philadelphia is something of an unlikely landing spot for Montgomery, unless the club not only reopens negotiations with the 31-year-old’s camp but also expands their interest beyond a one-year deal into a potential multi-year arrangement. Signing a multi-year pact could certainly make some sense for Montgomery, as the southpaw was ineligible to receive a Qualifying Offer this winter and therefore is likely to see his stock negatively impacted by one in a second trip through free agency.

Of course, as recently discussed by MLBTR’s Darragh McDonald, Montgomery wouldn’t be eligible for a Qualifying Offer this coming winter if he were to sign with a club after Opening Day. Speculatively speaking, that could create a situation where Montgomery remains focused on finding a multi-year deal in the days leading up to Opening Day without considering one-year arrangements until it, and his eligibility for a Qualifying Offer this coming winter, have already passed. Reporting earlier this month suggested that Montgomery was hoping to land a seven-year deal, though it’s unclear if either of the reported offers Montgomery currently has in hand approach that length.

With that being said, a lengthy deal that features a deflated average annual value could make a great deal of sense for a club such as the Yankees that has is approaching or has already surpassed the highest threshold of the luxury tax. Any expenditures over the final $297MM threshold are taxed at a 110% rate. That reality left the Yankees reportedly disinterested in engaging with Montgomery’s fellow top-of-the-market southpaw, Blake Snell, as he pivoted towards prioritizing a short-term deal at a high AAV.

The two-year, $62MM deal Snell signed with the Giants earlier this month came with an AAV just under $30MM, which would have left the Yankees to pay more than $32MM in taxes on top of the lefty’s actual salary had they signed him to that same deal. Speculatively speaking, it’s possible that both sides could benefit as the lefty could get the long-term security he’s reportedly searching for while New York would enjoy a much smaller tax bill on a yearly basis if Montgomery were amenable to a lengthy deal at a much lower annual salary.

Of course, given how close we are to the start of the regular season, it’s fair to wonder just how quickly Montgomery would be ready to enter a club’s rotation even if he were to sign before Opening Day. It’s possible he wouldn’t be too far behind, as Travis Sawchik of theScore reported this morning that Montgomery has ramped up to 75 pitches in preparation for the start of the season. On the other hand, Sawchik acknowledges that Montgomery’s preparation process may not be a perfect analogy for work in Spring Training, which involves facing live, big-league caliber hitting and working with a club’s coaching staff. Given those discrepancies, it would be somewhat surprising if Montgomery were able to start for a club on Opening Day at this point, though it’s at least reasonable to think that his ramp-up process will shorten the time he needs to prepare for the season once signed.

Red Sox Sign Chase Anderson

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March 24, 1:13pm: MassLive’s Christopher Smith reports that Anderson’s deal with the Red Sox guarantees him $1.25MM and comes with an additional $500k in potential performance bonuses.

March 24, 9:38am: The Red Sox have made their deal with Anderson official, per a club announcement. Right-hander Lucas Giolito was transferred to the 60-day injured list in the corresponding move. Giolito’s placement on the IL is hardly a surprise, given he’s expected to miss the entire 2024 season after undergoing an internal brace procedure on his right elbow.

March 23: The Red Sox have signed right-hander Chase Anderson to a Major League deal, according to MassLive.com’s Chris Cotillo (X link).  It was a very short stint in free agency for Anderson, who was only officially released from his minors deal with the Pirates earlier today.

Yesterday was the deadline for Anderson and other Article XX(B) free agents to decide whether or not to exercise the opt-out clauses in their minor league contracts, unless their teams had already agreed to include them on the 26-man active roster.  Since it seems like the Pirates preferred other options for their starting rotation, Anderson was prepared to opt out, and then quickly landed with Boston after he returned to the open market.

Assuming Anderson appears in a big league game, the Red Sox will be the eighth different team Anderson has pitched for during his 10 MLB seasons.  The right-hander posted some solid numbers with the Diamondbacks and Brewers from 2014-19, but he has struggled mightily ever since, with a 6.19 ERA over 192 innings since the start of the 2020 season.

Anderson has subsequently bounced around to seven different teams (including two stints with the Rays) in the last four-plus years, seeing action at the big league level with the Blue Jays, Phillies, Reds, Rays, and Rockies.  Anderson had a 5.75 ERA over 17 starts and 81 1/3 innings last season for a Rockies team that was desperate to fill innings within an injury-riddled rotation.  Boston’s pitching situation isn’t in quite such a dire state, though there is some definite uncertainty within the projected starting five of Brayan Bello, Nick Pivetta, Kutter Crawford, Garrett Whitlock, and Tanner Houck.

Lucas Giolito’s season-ending elbow surgery thinned out a rotation that was already lacking in depth, so Anderson can now fill a swingman role who can step in for a spot start if necessary.  The fact that Anderson landed a guaranteed big league deal might speak to how urgently the Red Sox wanted to add pitching help prior to Opening Day, though it is safe to assume that Anderson’s deal isn’t overly pricey.

Taijuan Walker, Orion Kerkering To Open Season On IL

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March 24: Walker told reporters (including Todd Zolecki of MLB.com) this afternoon that he was diagnosed with a shoulder impingement. He’ll begin the season on the injured list, though he added that rest is the only treatment required and that he hopes his stay on the shelf will be a short one.

March 23: Phillies right-hander Taijuan Walker was scratched from his recent spring start due to shoulder stiffness, manager Rob Thomson told reporters today (including Matt Gelb of The Athletic). Gelb notes that right-hander Spencer Turnbull figures to open the season in the club’s rotation if Walker begins the season on the injured list. Walker isn’t the only Phillies pitcher dealing with injury troubles, as Todd Zolecki of MLB.com adds that right-hander Orion Kerkering is will begin the season on the injured list after missing time this spring due to illness.

The twin injury updates are tough news for Phillies fans. Walker was a solid back-of-the-rotation starter for the club last year with a roughly league average 4.38 ERA and 4.53 FIP, though he was durable enough to make 31 starts for the club last year and post 172 2/3 innings of work. Now, it seems likely that Walker will miss at least the first few weeks of the regular season, though it’s difficult to say how severe his injury is barring further updates from the Phillies.

Taking Walker’s place in the rotation should he begin the season on the shelf figures to be Turnbull, a former second-round pick who spent four years as a mid-to-back of the rotation starter with the Tigers. From his big league debut through the 2021 season,  Turnbull posted a solid 4.25 ERA with an even strong 3.63 FIP. He was limited to just 54 appearances across those four seasons by injuries, however, including Tommy John surgery which limited him to nine starts in 2021 and sidelined him for the entire 2022 season.

Injury woes persisted through his return to the mound in 2023, as Turnbull struggled to a 7.26 ERA and 5.55 FIP across seven starts in the big leagues while battling neck and foot issues that caused a dispute regarding service time between Turnbull and the Tigers. Detroit eventually non-tendered Turnbull, at which point he signed with the Phillies on a big league deal. Turnbull appeared poised to begin the season as a long relief option out of the club’s bullpen, though he’s spent most of his career as a starter to this point and should have minimal trouble adjusting to the change in plans.

As for Kerkering, the soon-to-be 23-year-old right-hander made his major league debut last season, allowing one run in three innings of work while striking out six of the fourteen batters he faced. That impressive cup of coffee earned Kerkering a role on the postseason roster in Philadelphia. He pitched 5 1/3 innings of work during the postseason against the Marlins, Braves, and Diamondbacks, putting together a 3.38 ERA while striking out five and walking three.

Despite his minimal big league experience, Kerkering nonetheless had long been expected to be part of the club’s bullpen mix on Opening Day. That won’t come to fruition, however, as Kerkering will spend at least the first few weeks of the season on the shelf as he continues to prepare for the 2024 season. Kerkering’s absence, along with Turnbull’s likely move from the bullpen to the rotation, creates some level of uncertainty in the Philly bullpen. The Phillies acquired right-hander Zac Houston from the Rays earlier today, and he could join the likes of Connor Brogdon, Kolby Allard, Michael Mercado, and Yunior Marte as possible options for the two bullpen spots previously expected to go to Kerkering and Turnbull.

Note: An earlier version of this post incorrectly stated that Walker had been sent for an MRI on his shoulder. MLBTR regrets the error.

White Sox Re-Sign Kevin Pillar To Major League Deal

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The White Sox are have reunited with outfielder Kevin Pillar just days after the veteran was released by the club, as first reported by Daryl Van Schouwen of the Chicago Sun Times. The club has since announced the deal, which is a major league contract. Right-hander Touki Toussaint was designated for assignment in order to make room for Pillar on the 40-man roster. Van Schouwen also reports that right-hander Jordan Leasure is set to make the club’s Opening Day roster as a member of the bullpen. Leasure is not yet on the 40-man roster, meaning the club will need to select his contract prior to Opening Day.

Pillar, 35, is a veteran of 11 MLB seasons who spent the 2023 campaign as a member of the Braves. He appeared in 81 games as a reserve outfielder and pinch hitter for the club, though he struggled at the plate en route to a .228/.248/.416 slash line across 206 trips to the plate. Once one of the game’s best defenders in center field, the shine has worn off of Pillar’s glovework in recent years, relegating him to corner outfield work in more recent seasons. That being said, the veteran is a career .278/.308/.461 hitter against left-handed pitching and makes plenty of sense as a righty complement to the lefty-hitting corner outfield duo of Andrew Benintendi and Dominic Fletcher in Chicago.

Pillar’s return to the organization comes at the expense of Toussaint, who the club acquired off waivers from the Guardians back in June. He made 19 appearances down the stretch with Chicago, 15 of them starts, and posted a 4.97 ERA with a 4.95 FIP in 83 1/3 innings of work. Toussaint struck out a decent 22.7% of batters faced during his time with the club, but walked opponents at a concerning 14.2% clip. The mediocre results and concerning peripherals didn’t stop the White Sox from retaining the righty this winter, but the club now appears ready to move on from Toussaint after a disastrous Spring Training that saw him post a 17.47 ERA in 5 2/3 innings of work that saw him walk a whopping 11 batters while striking out just two. The White Sox will have one week to either trade, release, or pass Toussaint through waivers.

Set to make the club’s Opening Day roster alongside Pillar is Leasure, a 25-year-old right-hander who came to the White Sox as part of the return in the deal that sent Lance Lynn and Joe Kelly to the Dodgers back in July. A 14th-round pick by the Dodgers in the 2021 draft, Leasure enjoyed a strong 2022 season with L.A. as he pitched to a 3.38 ERA in 58 2/3 innings of work between the High-A and Double-A levels, striking out an impressive 34.9% of batters faced during that time. Leasure returned to Double-A to begin the 2023 season and continued to dominate with a 3.09 ERA and a 39.7% strikeout rate in 35 innings, but began to struggle upon being traded to Chicago, with whom he was promoted to Triple-A.

Leasure struggled to a 6.08 ERA in his 15 appearances at Triple-A Charlotte last year, though his strikeout rate remained above 35% even as he struggled. Despite those difficulties, Leasure went on to dominate in the Arizona Fall League back in October as he punched out 44.8% of batters faced and posted a sparkling 1.08 ERA. The right-hander’s bounceback continued this spring as he’s posted 8 1/3 scoreless innings across nine appearances with the White Sox during camp. Those strong results since the end of last season appear to have earned Leasure his first taste of big league action, where he’ll factor into the club’s bullpen mix as another right-handed option alongside Steven Wilson, John Brebbia, Deivi Garcia, and Michael Kopech.

A’s Acquire Austin Adams

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The A’s announced this morning that they’ve acquired right-hander Austin Adams from the Mets in exchange for cash considerations. Adams, who had been in camp with the Mets as a non-roster invitee, has been selected to Oakland’s 40-man roster. In a corresponding move, right-hander Trevor Gott was placed on the 60-day injured list. Gott’s placement on the shelf is hardly a surprise, as it was announced last week that the righty is set to undergo Tommy John surgery and miss the 2024 season.

Adams, 32, was an eighth-round pick in the 2012 draft by the Angels but didn’t make his MLB debut until the 2017 season when he was a member of the Nationals. He entered the 2023 season with 108 big league games under his belt between his time in Washington, Seattle, and San Diego, having pitched to a 3.90 ERA with a 3.81 FIP and a 34.2% strikeout rate during that time. Despite those solid numbers, forearm and shoulder issues had limited his ability to stay on the field and capture a regular role with any of the clubs he had pitched for, leading him to sign a minor league deal with the Diamondbacks prior to the 2023 season.

His performance in Arizona was something of a mixed bag. While the right-hander yielded an unsightly 5.71 ERA in 17 1/3 innings of work with the club prior to a season-ending ankle injury last August, Adams’s peripheral numbers suggest he may have pitched better than those results would indicate. After all, the 32-year-old hurler struck out a solid 27.2% of batters faced while walking 9.9%. That left Adams with a 3.55 xERA and a 3.72 FIP, both far more palatable numbers that are more in line with his career marks. The discrepancy can be explained by both an unusually low 61.6% strand rate and an elevated .333 BABIP, leaving Adams with both far more traffic on the basepaths than expected and those runners scoring more often than usual.

Those positive peripheral signs may have played a role in the Mets decided to sign Adams to a major league deal back in November, after he elected free agency in response to being removed from Arizona’s 40-man roster. That seemingly left Adams in position to be a key piece of the bullpen mix in Queens this season, but the club scuttled those plans by signing more proven relievers such as Adam Ottavino and Jorge Lopez later that winter. That left Adams to be outrighted off the club’s roster just before Spring Training began, though he remained in camp with the club as a non-roster invitee.

Now, Adams once again appears poised to get an Opening Day job after being dealt to Oakland. With the A’s, he figures to slot into the middle of a bullpen that heavily features young arms such as Mason Miller, Kyle Muller, and Mitch Spence. If Adams pitches well early in the season, it wouldn’t be a shock to see him take on late inning duties alongside the likes of Miller and Lucas Erceg in the Oakland bullpen.

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