The Athletics announced that they have signed right-hander José Leclerc to a one-year deal. It’s reportedly a $10MM guarantee for the former Ranger. Fellow righty Will Klein has been designated for assignment to open a roster spot.
Leclerc, 31, jumps across the American League West. He had spent his entire career with the Rangers up until now. During his time in Texas, he has shown flashes of excellence as a reliever. In general, his career has been defined by a strong ability to get strikeouts but also some poor control.
Overall, he has 360 1/3 innings under his belt to this point, having allowed 3.27 earned runs per nine. His 31.2% strikeout rate is a very strong number but his 13.2% walk rate is much higher than average.
That lack of control has made his performance somewhat inconsistent. He was once the primary closer for the Rangers, having earned 12 saves in 2018 and 14 more the year after. But he missed essentially all of the next two seasons. A right teres muscle tear limited him to just two appearances during the shortened 2020 season. He then required Tommy John surgery in March of 2021, which wiped out that whole year.
Since coming back, he hasn’t been able to retake the closer’s role, with just 12 saves over the past three years combined. However, his control has actually been better lately, at least relative to his own previous performance. He had a 14.9% walk rate as of his Tommy John surgery. Since coming back, he has only walked 11.3% of batters faced. That’s still a high number, as league average is usually in the 8-9% range, but it was a noticeable improvement.
From the start of the 2022 season to the present, he has a 3.36 ERA, 29.2% strikeout rate and, as mentioned, an 11.3% walk rate. His 3.60 FIP and 3.58 SIERA are marginally higher than his ERA, likely because his .271 batting average on balls in play and 76.5% strand rate are a bit on the fortunate side. He also formed a notable portion of the Texas relief corps during their World Series run, tossing 13 2/3 innings with a 3.29 ERA during the 2023 postseason.
His ERA did jump to 4.32 in 2024, but that doesn’t seem to have been his fault. His .314 BABIP was actually on the high side last year. His 30.9% strikeout rate and 11.1% walk rate were pretty close to what he has done before. His 3.48 FIP and 3.26 SIERA both suggest he was pretty similar to the guy he was going into the year.
In addition to the strikeouts, Leclerc has often been good at avoiding damage. Statcast had his hard hit rate at 30.7% last year, which placed him in the 96th percentile of qualified pitchers. That was actually above his career rate of 29.3%. His 87.4 mile per hour average exit velocity was in the 84th percentile last year. Again, his career average of 86.4 mph is even better. The pitch velocity on his four-seam fastball and sinker both averaged around 95 miles per hour, while he also mixed in a slider, cutter and changeup.
It’s an interesting buy-low move for the A’s, since they are grabbing Leclerc after a rough year in the ERA department, but with encouraging numbers under the hood. They already have one of the best closers in the league in Mason Miller, so they can use Leclerc in a setup capacity.
The club has been surprisingly aggressive this winter in bolstering the roster. They gave a big deal to sign free agent right-hander Luis Severino, acquired lefty Jeffrey Springs from the Rays and signed outfielder/designated hitter Brent Rooker to a five-year extension.
Cynically, this likely has a lot to do with the club having to spend its revenue-sharing money in order to avoid a grievance from the MLBPA, but they are making some notable improvements nonetheless. The team went 32-32 in the second half of 2024 after graduating a lot of young talent to the majors, so it’s not impossible for them to be a surprise contender in 2025, especially with their new additions. Though if that doesn’t come to pass and they are still shy of contention, Leclerc could then be traded prior to the summer deadline as long as he’s having a strong year, since he’s only on a one-year deal.
Leclerc’s pact takes the club’s payroll to $74MM and their competitive balance tax number to $106MM, per the calculations of RosterResource. Reporting has indicated the club needs a CBT number of $105MM to avoid that grievance, but a final CBT calculation doesn’t come until the end of the year. The A’s might want to push it a bit further, just in case they end up trading players like Leclerc at the deadline and knocking that number down. Otherwise, their deadline dealings would have to be fairly revenue neutral.
Klein, 25, was one of three players that the A’s just acquired from the Royals in the Lucas Erceg trade at last year’s deadline. He didn’t have much big league experience prior to the deal and the A’s mostly kept him on optional assignment. He currently has 7 2/3 innings of MLB experience with nine earned runs allowed.
That’s obviously not a huge sample size and the A’s surely acquired Klein based on his larger sample of work in the minors. His numbers on the farm are vaguely Leclerc-esque, since he has been able to get strikeouts but has also given out plenty of walks. He has 221 1/3 minor league frames under his belt with a 5.16 ERA, 30.4% strikeout rate and 16.2% walk rate.
The punchouts are attractive but even those faded in 2024. He tossed 43 Triple-A innings on the year between the two organizations, with a 22.4% strikeout rate and the walk rate still up at 16.7%. The 3.77 ERA wasn’t bad but a .234 BABIP and 75.4% strand rate surely helped him there, which is why he had a 5.42 FIP.
The Erceg deal was considered light by many observers at the time. It can often be difficult to grade a trade so soon after it’s consummated but it doesn’t bode well for the A’s that they are now potentially moving on from one of the three players they got in return.
They will now have a week to figure out Klein’s fate, whether that’s a trade or something on the waiver wire. The waiver process takes 48 hours, so that leaves five days for trade talks. He still has a couple of option years left, meaning any acquiring club could potentially keep him in the minors until he shows improved control.
Jon Heyman of The New York Post first reported the $10MM guarantee.
A’s cooking.
They are quietly putting together a competitive A’s team in Sacramento. Not sure they can overtake Houston or Texas for the division, but they can be a .500+ team this year if they can stay healthy. They have the best young closer in baseball so they shouldn’t blow too many leads in the 9th inning. LeClerc can help get them to the 9th with a lead as well. Well done.
Go, Sacramento A’s!
Note that their Opening Day sleeve patch will say Sacramento A’s not West Sac or LV.
I still don’t think it’s 100% they get to Vegas.
Given that the Las Vegas Stadium Authority has reviewed and officially approved all necessary documents, including the Lease Agreement, the Non-Relocation Agreement, the Development Agreement, and the Community Benefits Agreement, and that both the team and the Stadium Authority have signed all of those agreements; and that the A’s have a signed agreement with US Bank and Goldman Sachs to provide the $300 million loan the A’s wanted; and that Goldman Sachs has audited the Fisher family finances and concluded that they are well able to keep their commitments to provide all necessary financing; and that the Stadium Authority has reviewed and approved the financing plan, I guess it’s probably more like 99.999999999999% rather than 100%. that they get to Las Vegas.
Nice signing.
Massive overpay, but maybe it fires up one or two of their fans (which would be 50% or 100% of their total fans, respectively).
I feel like overpaying for the A’s is negligibly right now. They need players to come and join with their very good nucleus. Honestly they are putting together a bit of a better team than they’ve had in a bit.
Facts
Hahahahahhahahahahaha get this man on a stand up comedy show ASAP
The A’s have one of the deepest histories of any franchise. You think that’s undone by a rebuild?
Man knows ball
I think it is critical the A’s prove this one is a rebuild with a goal of being good at the end.
A’s fans have seen too many cores start to take place only to get traded off before being given a chance to really compete.
I think the fact they extended Rooker shows that maybe they are getting away past practices. Of course, it needed a bit if pushing from the MLBPA, but with the core they have and the moves they have made, it makes it seem like they are ready to get out of a rebuild.
Agree. The extension is a clear signal the A’s intend to compete at least until the stadium is built. Maybe once they move Fisher sells the team and makes a massive profit.
That’s my theory. I think the reason that the Fisher family will provide the necessary funds to build the new stadium, is that it will provide a massive return on their investment. The franchise will be worth much, much more once the move is completed, after which Fisher will sell the team and take that profit.
Glad to see that ol’ chestnut of yours survived the move to West Sacramento…and that you made it to 2025, as well, @statman!
NOTHING matches the internet hilarity of fan-number comedy! So fresh!
Only matched by “Cry more! (Enemy)’s tears taste salty!”
The mirth exponentially increases if the groundbreaking comic writes “fine wine” instead! Guaranteed merriment in 4K (for chukkkkles!)!
Never leaving this site!
Boy, RP getting expensive.
Well at least 1 player directly benefited from this team needing to spend.
You think another team would have gave Luis Severino 67 million bucks?
I would say he is the latest to benefit from it.
WS champs
Wow- Hey all you borderline MLB quality baseball players,! If you want an A-lister pay day offer your services to the A’s. now’s the time! They’re hopped up, or desperate, or something!
Simpson paraphrase aside- this signing is telling how difficult it is for them to convince any true major league quality talents to sign with them for any amount at this point and how desperate they are to be in compliance and bloat the payroll up to requirements.
The better the team becomes the easier it is to sign new guys.
Aside from being desperate to spend money to be compliance, this isn’t a terrible signing for the A’s. He was worth 0.8 fWAR this past season and 0.9 fWAR this season before. I know it’s easy to slam the A’s for spending to stay in compliance, but they could have done significantly worse than this.
Anyone know how close they are to the $105 million in CBT payroll they have to reach?
Not sure off the top of my head, but I am guessing they are going to go slightly over it just to drive the point home that they are serious about being in compliance. That said, I *think* this puts them over by like $2M?
Lucky guy will be pitching for a contender in August
sellers…in a very weak division….pass what you’re smoking pls
thats exactly what he means. fire sale will happen before august. do you really need anything more to smoke
They were at 86 million before this signing. They still have payroll space to add a starter or a bat
About halfway according to sportrac. I don’t see any way they actually get there unless they add a Bregman or Alonso type salary to the roster
Spotrac hasn’t been updated in awhile. Fangraphs stays more current-ish.
The two sites are about $5 million off from each other so not drastically different. Though even with those figures the A’s still need to add about $32 million (Pete Alonso; c’mon the Polar Bear in Vegas (in 3 years) practically markets itself)
That’s in tax-free payroll, CBT has them now at a little over 103 mil according to Cot’s which is the best and most accurate site
Add one more starter and call it a good offseason for the A’s.
Yeah there is a difference between the luxury tax payroll from fangraphs and the payroll from spotrac. Luxury tax payroll counts in like 17.5mln in extra bonuses and 2.5mln for minor leaguers, also counts long-term contracts by AAV and does not just take the 2025 salary. So they are right about the minimum 105mln mark for luxury tax payroll. I would still want the team to add a southpaw to the bullpen like Poche/Coulombe/Alexander, but it can wait till February, so that they first put Waldichuk and Medina on the 60 day IL.
Especially since he was a hometown favorite when he played for the Las Vegas 51s, when they were the Mets’ Triple A team.
Hahaha, I’m guessing they were about $10M short until today.
I had the A’s as my third place team in the west. This just bumped them back to fourth.
A’s are going to be a lot better than people think. Especially if Mason Miller stays healthy the whole season
And his DL time last year was from punching something and getting a fracture
A $10M relief pitcher? Hahaha. The perfect combo of enough salary on paper to help West Sacramento avoid an MLBPA grievance and someone they can offload at the deadline to avoid paying the whole amount.
10M!?!?
Yeah, considering what Tanner Scott got today, $10MM doesn’t seem so bad.
well the a’s trying to get over the salary floor for 2025.
Yesssssssssssss
I like it never a bad idea to add another setup man for Mason Miller
Whatever Fisher does is never a bad idea to you, tjmacari.
Yeah I think he’s hot lol 😛
Surprised Will Klein was DFA’d
Just hoping Barnett pans out at this point or else that was such an awful trade
Gotta get Alonso now and trade a Soderstrom
package for Cease – team would be fun to watch
Jed Hoyer- Strike 38!
A’s having 10x better off season than the padres
Alonso next, come on do it.
Leclerc setting up Miller is a nice back end of the bullpen.
A’s played well over the last couple months of 24 and have added nicely this off season. Good to see.
The A’s are lowkey showing how effective a salary floor would be for the league
Hard to say that definitively. If the other bottom payroll teams were forced to raise payroll, these players signed by the A’s may have already been off the market.
I think that’s his point. It would promote more competition for free agents, not just a few teams signing everyone in the market.
Soderstrom + Colby Thomas + Gunnar Hoglund for Cease…who says no?
The A’s say no. They are not ready to compete in 2025 and 1 year of Cease won’t change that.
I am an As fan. I agree with Philly that As would not do that, but I think they have a shot to win in low 80s and maybe that makes post-season
And that’s why I think they A’s would…no one’s roster in the AL West screams even high 80 wins…the last time the A’s played the way they did in the second half of a rebuild year (2017), they won 97 games the next year…
The A’s problem last year was starting pitching. They improved that this offseason. I can see them get an extra 10 wins at least from last year or even .500. If consistent, they can make a playoff run.
What are you smoking?lol with how weak the AL west is, the A’s can absolutely make a run for it.
Anything can happen in a season and I hope the A’s make the playoffs. BUT, on paper they are not a playoff team and to give up 3 prospects for one year of a pitcher who wants a long term deal that the A’s won’t give him.. doesn’t make sense to me.
The A’s window to be competitive is open now, but don’t give away possible pieces in year 1.
On paper they were never a playoff team in 2012 and 2018. They still have a lot of prospects to work with for the future.
I think the A’s should at least consider a trade like that. Colby Thomas is a pretty decent OF prospect, but with Lawrence Butler, Brent Rooker, Esteury Ruiz, and Seth Brown on the major league roster, and Henry Bolte and Denzel Clarke working their way up through the system, I think they can afford to trade him. They also have Daniel Susac as a pretty good catching prospect. BTW, as a Las Vegas Aviators season ticket holder, I’d say that Colby Thomas is a good line drive hitter, a very good baserunner, and a good outfielder. Or at least, a good outfielder if the ball is hit in front of him. I’ve seen him make some incredible running catches of balls that were way in front of him. But when the ball is hit over his head, he’s totally lost. He will drift back very slowly as though the ball is going to be just a few feet behind him, then panic when he realizes it’s going to be 30 feet behind him. Maybe he needs his eyes checked.
I’m not opposed to trading Colby Thomas (even though Ruiz and Brown should not be considered roadblocks from keeping him off the major league roster.) That said, I’m not in favor of trading Soderstrom for one year of Cease. They don’t have another option at first base, unless you consider CJ Alexander an option, which I personally don’t right now. Aside from that, I believe Tyler is on the verge of breaking out, with a hard hit % and average exit velo equal to his teammate in Brent Rooker. Giving up 5 years of him for Cease is just not worth that.
Playoffs in a minor league ballpark is going to be crazy
I figured they would sign a back end reliever. Money doesn’t matter to me. It isn’t my budget. Putting him in front of Miller is pretty nice. DFing Klein sucks, there really wasn’t anyone else?
Under normal circumstances, this is an overpay since his highest salary of $6.25M is coming. off a down year. Since the criminally cheap owner, John Fisher, refused to invest in past teams the A’s needed to spend. With the addition of veteran players – LeClerc, Urshela, Severino, Springs – along with the emergence of young talent like Lawrence Butler, Shea Langeliers and Mason Miller, the A’s should be more competitive. Too bad it’s not in Oakland.
“Otherwise, their deadline dealings would have to be fairly revenue neutral.”
I don’t typically nitpick but player’s salaries are an expense. A trade that is “revenue neutral” is nonsense.