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Athletics, Seth Brown Avoid Arbitration

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The Athletics and first baseman/outfielder Seth Brown have avoided arbitration by agreeing to a one-year contract for the 2025 season, per a club announcement. While the team didn’t announce financial components of the deal, The Associated Press reports that Brown will make a $2.7MM salary.

Brown, 32, looked as though he was no longer in the A’s plans midseason when he was passed through waivers unclaimed. He accepted an outright assignment to Triple-A, so as not to forfeit the remainder of last year’s $2.6MM salary, but Brown caught fire in the minors and hit his way back up to the big leagues in short order.

At the time of his removal from the 40-man roster, Brown was hitting just .189/.251/.306 through 195 plate appearances. He erupted with a .403/.416/.736 slash and seven homers in 77 Triple-A plate appearances, however, and found himself back on the big league roster less than a month later. From the time he returned to the majors through season’s end, Brown hit .271/.312/.448 in a sample of 205 plate appearances that was nearly identical to his early-season struggles.

That proved enough to keep Brown in the team’s plans for at least another year, it seems. The lefty-swinging slugger figures to again split his time between first base and the outfield corners, while Brent Rooker takes the majority of plate appearances at designated hitter. MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz projected a $3.8MM salary for Brown in free agency, though deals hammered out prior to the non-tender deadline (known as “pre-tender” deals) often come with salaries south of projections. Teams have more leverage prior to the non-tender deadline and thus will frequently present offers in what’s effectively “take it or leave it” fashion, with the “leave it” option representing a non-tender.

Brown has now had consecutive disappointing seasons at the plate, but he popped 45 homers in 261 games with the A’s from 2021-22. He’s a .225/.289/.426 hitter (102 wRC+) in 1640 plate appearances dating back to the 2021 season.

Athletics Sign Matt Krook To Minor League Deal

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The Athletics signed left-handed pitcher Matt Krook to a minor league contract late last week, according to his transaction log on MLB.com. The 30-year-old elected free agency earlier this month.

Eleven years ago, the Marlins selected Krook out of high school in Competitive Balance Round A of the 2013 draft. While he planned to sign a contract, the team discovered a left shoulder injury during his physical, and the two sides were unable to come to terms on a signing bonus. Things continued to go downhill for Krook when an elbow injury cut his freshman season at the University of Oregon short; he would undergo Tommy John surgery that spring.

The Giants took Krook in the fourth round of the 2016 draft, and this time he signed a deal and entered the organization. After parts of two seasons in San Francisco’s farm system, he was included in the trade that brought Evan Longoria from the Rays to the Giants. Three years later, the Yankees selected Krook away from the Rays in the minor league phase of the Rule 5 draft, and another two years after that, they added him to the 40-man roster to prevent him from electing minor league agency.

The Yankees made Krook a full-time reliever in 2023, and he kicked off his major league career that same season. Tossing four innings across four separate stints with the big league club, he gave up 11 earned runs, walking six and striking out just three. It was no surprise that control issues were his downfall; he came into his MLB debut with a career 14.3% walk rate in the minors. Despite his ever-present control problems, his minor league numbers were excellent that year (1.32 ERA, 2.81 FIP in 34 IP), but even so, they weren’t enough to stop New York from designating him for assignment over the offseason.

The Orioles put in a claim and sent the Yankees cash to acquire the lefty. Although he looked solid over 43 2/3 frames with Triple-A Norfolk (3.92 ERA, 4.49 FIP), Krook only got the chance to pitch one inning with the O’s in 2024. He allowed three runs (two earned) on a three-run shot off the bat of Rangers rookie Wyatt Langford. While he technically lowered his career ERA from 24.75 to 23.40, it wasn’t the image-rehabilitating showing he was surely hoping for. Baltimore DFA’d Krook at the trade deadline and outrighted him to Triple-A a few days later.

Krook will look to get another crack at the majors in 2025, this time with the A’s. Outside of star closer Mason Miller, the Athletics don’t have much in the way of top-end talent or depth in the bullpen, so Krook should have a clear path to playing time if he pitches well. His minor league deal presumably includes an invitation to spring training, where he’ll have his first chance to make a good impression on his new club.

A’s To Select Gunnar Hoglund, Ryan Cusick

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1:15pm: The A’s are also adding outfielder Denzel Clarke to the 40-man, per McDaniel. A fourth-round pick of the A’s in 2021, he has since gone on to hit .261/.359/.467 over multiple levels while stealing 78 bases in 93 tries.

11:36am: The A’s have selected the contract of right-hander Gunnar Hoglund, reports Kiley McDaniel of ESPN. They’ve also selected the contract of righty Ryan Cusick, per Ari Alexander of KPRC-2. Both are now on the 40-man roster and thus ineligible to be selected in next month’s Rule 5 Draft. The Athletics’ 40-man roster is up to 36 players, so there’s room for more additions throughout the day.

Adding Hoglund doesn’t register as much of a surprise. The 2021 first-rounder (No.  19 overall by the Blue Jays) was the centerpiece prospect in the trade sending Matt Chapman from Oakland to Toronto. He’s had a slow road back after Tommy John surgery but pitched 130 2/3 innings this past season, splitting the year between Double-A (104 2/3 innings, 2.84 ERA) and Triple-A (26 innings, 5.88 ERA). Hoglund punched out 22.7% of his opponents against a 7% walk rate during that time. MLB.com’s Jim Callis notes that Hoglund’s velocity hasn’t come all the way back since that elbow reconstruction; he sat at 92 mph in 2024 — a ways shy of his college days when he sat a couple ticks higher and topped out around 96-97 mph.

Hoglund, 25 next month, is still regarded as a strike-thrower with strong command who has the potential to start. Given the state of the A’s rotation and the fact that he’s now on the 40-man roster, his first opportunity to do so in the majors could come as soon as the 2025 season.

The A’s have JP Sears locked into a rotation spot but little certainty thereafter. Last year’s Rule 5 pick, Mitch Spence, tossed 151 innings with a 4.58 ERA, good command and below-average strikeout numbers. Right-hander Joey Estes totaled 127 2/3 frames with even better command but even lower strikeout numbers and a 5.01 ERA. Righty J.T. Ginn had similar rate stats to both and a 4.24 ERA in a smaller sample of 34 innings. Twenty-nine-year-old swingman Osvaldo Bido mopped up 63 1/3 innings with a 3.41 ERA, a strong 24.3% strikeout rate and an ugly 10% walk rate. Flamethrowing righty Joe Boyle sat 98 mph with his heater but posted a 6.42 ERA while walking 17.7% of his opponents in 47 2/3 innings (10 starts). Lefties Hogan Harris and Brady Basso both made a handful of starts in 2024, but both are already 27 and posted more concerning numbers in the minors.

Cusick is also 25 and also came to the A’s in a major trade — the one sending first baseman Matt Olson to Atlanta. The right-hander was actually drafted by the Braves just five picks after the Jays took Hoglund in 2021. He moved from the rotation to a bullpen role in 2024, and the switch clearly paid off. Cusick began the year with an dismal 6.69 ERA in 37 2/3 starts working primarily as  starter through July 12. He shifted to the ’pen full time after the break and rattled off 26 innings of 1.73 ERA ball with a 28.2% strikeout rate. His 11.8% walk rate in that time was still too high, but those rate stats are lightyears better than the ones he logged working as a starter early on (19.7 K%, 15.2 BB%).

Given the success in a move to a relief role, it seems Cusick will likely be ticketed for a bullpen audition this spring. He’ll have to further rein in his command, but the uptick in strikeouts and the gains he’s already made in terms of limiting free passes in the ’pen are encouraging.

A’s Sign Jason Alexander To Minor League Contract

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The Athletics have signed right-hander Jason Alexander to a minors deal, according to Alexander’s MLB.com profile page.  The contract presumably includes an invitation to the Athletics’ big league Spring Training camp.  Alexander returned to minor league free agency at season’s end after spending the 2024 campaign pitching with Boston’s Triple-A affiliate.

Alexander went undrafted in 2017 but signed with the Angels as a free agent, and the A’s now represent the fifth different organization the righty has played with during his seven pro seasons.  The resume includes one season in the majors, as Alexander posted a 5.40 ERA over 71 2/3 innings with the Brewers in 2022, working as both a swingman and reliever in his 18 appearances.

While not a standout performance, Alexander’s ability to generate grounders and work as a swingman made him a candidate for Milwaukee’s roster heading into 2023 Spring Training, but a shoulder injury kept him out of action until a minor league rehab assignment that June.  The Brewers outrighted him off their 40-man roster a month later and then moved on entirely after the season, leading to Alexander landing a deal last winter with the Red Sox.

Over 328 1/3 career innings at Triple-A, Alexander has a 5.04 ERA, 7.04% walk rate, and 18.85% strikeout rate.  Alexander is a grounder specialist who has regularly posted groundball rates north of 55%, though his lack of real strikeout power has limited his ceiling.

Still, the 31-year-old can eat innings and work in a variety of roles, giving him value as a depth arm for the A’s to evaluate at Triple-A, or perhaps consider for a look on the big league roster.  If he does make the team, it’ll be something of a homecoming for Alexander, whose hometown of Windsor, California is within a few hours’ drive from the Athletics’ temporary new home of Sacramento.

A’s, Alejo Lopez Agree To Minor League Deal

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The Athletics have agreed to terms with infielder Alejo Lopez on a minor league contract, Lopez himself announced on Instagram. The former Reds infielder will presumably head to spring training as a non-roster invitee.

Lopez, 28, has spent parts of three seasons in the big leagues, all coming with Cincinnati. He’s a .265/.309/.329 hitter in 181 major league plate appearances, showing little power but an excellent feel for contact. Lopez has fanned in only 14.9% of those trips to the plate (against a lackluster 5% walk rate) and has consistently posted even lower strikeout rates in the upper minors. In parts of four Triple-A campaigns, he’s a .294/.387/.407 hitter with nearly as many walks (11.7%) as strikeouts (12.1%) in just over 1500 plate appearances.

Defensively, Lopez has played all over the diamond, though the vast majority of his time has been split between second base (3260 innings) and third base (2023 innings). He’s logged 653 innings at shortstop and a combined 715 frames between the two outfield corners.

The A’s don’t have a set third baseman and could have multiple bench spots up for grabs in spring training, depending on how their offseason plays out. The switch-hitting Lopez will give them some depth all over the infield and could nab a reserve role if he shows well in camp. He’s coming off a nice year with the Braves’ Triple-A affiliate, wherein he slashed .307/.392/.397 with four homers, 21 doubles, a pair of triples and 21 stolen bases in 112 games (473 plate appearances).

Do We Need To Rethink The Athletics?

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Back in January, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reported on the future of the Athletics, suggesting a big jump in payroll was coming over the horizon. However, Rosenthal himself expressed serious doubt that any of it would actually come to pass.

“According to a source briefed on their plans,” Rosenthal wrote at the time, “the A’s project payrolls in the $130 to $150 million range during the ramp-up period before they move into their new park, then $170 million-plus once they are established in their fixed-roof stadium.”

Rosenthal remained skeptical of what he was hearing and even titled the piece “Why I remain skeptical about the A’s grandiose Vegas plans.” The skepticism, from Rosenthal or anyone else reading it, was and is completely understandable. Owner John Fisher has done little to earn any benefit of the doubt. In fact, he had given plenty of people to do the opposite.

Since Fisher took over as the club’s managing partner in November of 2016, the A’s have arguably received more attention for their bolt to Las Vegas than their on-field performance. They did put a nice run together from 2018 to 2020, making the playoffs three straight years. But when their win total dropped modestly to 86 in 2021, it was full-blown fire sale time. Matt Chapman, Chris Bassitt, Sean Manaea and Matt Olson were traded prior to the 2022 season, with Sean Murphy, Cole Irvin, Frankie Montas and others to follow.

The A’s have been one of the worst teams in baseball over the past three years while the headlines have mostly been about the club abandoning its fans in Oakland and the surrounding area, absconding to the east. The plan is for a new stadium to open in Las Vegas for the 2028 season, with a three-year stopover in a Triple-A ballpark in West Sacramento. The club didn’t seem to have much interest in staying in Oakland, as negotiations for a new stadium there didn’t gain much traction. Nor did the talks about staying beyond the end of the lease, even on an interim basis, hence the temporary move to West Sacramento.

Given the way the franchise has behaved, it’s natural to doubt that there is some massive pivot coming. According to Cot’s Baseball Contracts, their payroll has been in the bottom third of the league for over a decade now, including being dead last for the past two years and 29th in 2022.

Getting up to the range described by Rosenthal above would be a massive jump. The club had a payroll of just $61MM in 2024, so we’re talking about more than doubling that. The franchise record payroll was $92MM back in 2019, so the proposed numbers are coming close to doubling that as well.

While that kind of leap might be extreme, it’s not impossible to imagine a scenario where Fisher is more motivated to support the Las Vegas Athletics than he was the Oakland Athletics. Even if he doesn’t care about the team or its fans in a direct sense, there’s the cold-hearted business angle. If you’ve seen the movie Major League, you get the gist here. The recent lack of investment in the club may have been an intentional way of lowering fan engagement, thus manufacturing the justification for the move.

After going through all the trouble of moving the club, all the paperwork and meetings involved, he’s undoubtedly hoping for some kind of benefit at some point. Per Mick Akers of the Las Vegas Review-Journal, the Fisher family are willing to put down roughly a billion of the $1.5 billion needed to build the stadium. Akers says that U.S. Bank reviewed the Fisher family finances and “concluded the Fishers have more than sufficient assets for the equity required to fund the stadium’s construction.”

That’s not especially surprising, considering the family situation. John’s parents Donald and Doris founded The Gap, the clothing chain. Donald died in 2009 but Forbes lists the family net worth as just under $9 billion, with John Fisher personally listed as having a net worth of just over $3 billion.

That gives them plenty of ability to pay for the stadium, but it seems fair to assume they’re not doing that out of the kindness of their hearts and envision getting that money back someday. It’s been speculated that the Vegas setting might mean the club is relying more on tourists to come to games as opposed to locals, when compared to other franchises. If that’s the case, there could be motivation to make more of an effort to sign stars and generate interest outside of Vegas. Many clubs are hemorrhaging TV money as the cable model collapses and the A’s reportedly got $70MM as part of their deal in 2024. That deal is supposed to end if the club leaves the Bay Area though it’s been reported that they may be able to rework it for the West Sacramento years, although presumably at a lower price point.

They will presumably find a new broadcast deal for Vegas down the line, but likely not at that price point. That will only put more pressure on the club to make money off attendance. Their new stadium only projects to have a capacity of 33,000, which will be the lowest in the majors and barely half of the stadium they are leaving. If they want to charge big money for tickets, they will need big demand. Ideally for ownership, that demand would be big right from the get-go, so winning some games while in West Sacramento could be a big priority.

We can’t know if this is actually the case, but perhaps it’s worth considering. The family largesse which allows the Fishers to cover the stadium costs could also allow them to run higher payrolls than they have in the past. They could simply decide to become a mid-market club if they wanted to. Many will take a “believe it when I see it” approach to this speculative scenario and that’s probably the smartest position to take, but there’s an argument that it’s in the Fishers’ own interest to take this path. Even if you’re the type of fan who considers John Fisher to be a cold-blooded lizard person with no warm feelings towards baseball or people, which would be understandable if you’re from Oakland and he has stolen your team from you, that wouldn’t necessarily conflict with him putting a good team on the field since that would be a good business decision.

These are all big ifs but they could have significant ramifications if there’s even partial truths within them, including shaking up baseball’s winter landscape. One more club willing to give out big contracts would be good for the players, as another bidder always helps with the supply-and-demand equation.

RosterResource has the club projected for $37MM next year, meaning they would have to spend over $20MM just to get up to 2024’s last-place figure. Many free agents won’t be excited about playing in a Triple-A park, so the A’s might have to wait out the market and pitch themselves to guys who don’t find the contract they were looking for. Taking on unwanted contracts from another club via trade would be another option to add payroll, without the player having a say in it. But that could also work to the benefit of players, as the other club could use their freed-up spending capacity to spend on someone else.

The American League West already has four fairly aggressive teams in it. The Astros have been one of the strongest clubs over the past decade. The Rangers spent aggressively in recent years, leading to a World Series title. The Angels haven’t been successful lately but it’s not for lack of trying, as they’ve been a top ten payroll club for most of this century. The Mariners don’t run massive payrolls but are one of the most active clubs on the trade market and have finished above .500 for four straight years. If the A’s take things up a notch, it could ramp up the level of competition in an already-strong division.

Despite the behavior of ownership, there have been some encouraging signs on the field lately for the A’s. They went 39-37 in the final three months of 2024, bolstered by strong performances from players like Mason Miller, Brent Rooker, Lawrence Butler and plenty of others.

If the club didn’t care about how it performed during its three-year exodus in West Sacramento, it would make sense to trade Rooker, since he’s slated for free agency after 2027. But they didn’t trade him at the deadline and general manager David Forst recently said they don’t plan to trade him this winter either. As mentioned, they don’t need to save money because there’s almost nothing on the books, but trading Rooker could surely bring in a haul of prospects that they are deciding not to reel in. That aligns with Forst recently saying the club is focused on adding to the major league roster, not trading big leaguers for prospects.

Whether the club has enough talent to compete in the immediate future is obviously debatable and depends on many factors. One of them is how much the club spends on bolstering the roster in that time frame. The general expectation of many people seems to be that the A’s will be as cheap as they have been in Oakland but it’s possible to imagine that they have been intentionally waiting to leave town before opening the proverbial purse strings. This would be especially frustrating for the fans in the Bay Area who have watched the club be starved for years, only to see them start living high on the hog after bolting. But after how much they’ve been hurt by Fisher already, would they really be that surprised?

Braves Acquire Nick Allen

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The Braves added infield depth on Monday night, acquiring shortstop Nick Allen from the Athletics. Atlanta sent minor league reliever Jared Johnson back in a one-for-one swap. The acquisition pushes Atlanta’s 40-man roster count to 38.

Allen has exhausted his option seasons, which likely motivated this move. Going forward, he needs to either be on an active roster or else removed from the 40-man entirely. All teams are going to be soon facing roster crunches, as the Rule 5 protection deadline is just over a week away.

As a prospect, Allen got plenty of attention for his glovework. The question was whether or not he would hit. He certainly hasn’t produced with the bat at the major league level thus far, as he currently sports a line of .209/.254/.283 in his 760 plate appearances. He has received strong reviews for his shortstop defense, also spending some time at second and third base, but that offensive production translates to a wRC+ of just 53.

The results in the minors have been far more encouraging. Over the past two years, Allen has stepped to the plate 541 times at the Triple-A level, turning in a .341/.428/.503 batting line. The former third-round pick doesn’t need to hit much to be a viable utility option given the strength of his glove. His Triple-A numbers are surely inflated by the hitter-friendly nature of the Pacific Coast League, but they offer hope that there’s a little more potential with the bat than he’s shown in the majors.

Allen has bottom-of-the-scale power. Even his big production in the minors has come with just 12 home runs in nearly 200 games. He has solid bat-to-ball skills, making contact at a higher than average rate in both Triple-A and the majors. Allen walked more often than he struck out this year in Triple-A. The Braves have acquired similar players, Nicky Lopez and David Fletcher, in recent seasons. Neither spent much time on the MLB roster.

The 26-year-old Allen could have a better opportunity to stick around. Orlando Arcia had a dreadful offensive year in his own right, hitting .218/.271/.354 across 602 plate appearances. That’s still better than what Allen has shown in his major league career, but Arcia’s hold on the position probably isn’t strong. Atlanta should remain in the market for clearer upgrades.

From an A’s perspective, they’re moving on from a player who once ranked among the better position player talents in the system. That’s disappointing but not surprising given Allen’s lackluster production to date. They’re hopeful that Jacob Wilson is the long-term answer at shortstop, while Darell Hernaiz had also surpassed Allen on the infield depth chart.

Johnson, 23, spent this past season in High-A. He had a nice year in the later innings, turning in a 2.60 ERA across 52 frames. The former 14th-round pick fanned 26.4% of opponents but walked nearly 12% of batters faced. He’s a lottery ticket bullpen piece who will be eligible for the Rule 5 draft unless the A’s add him to their 40-man roster next week.

Image courtesy of Imagn.

Bud Daley Passes Away

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In news that eluded MLBTR at the time, former All-Star pitcher Bud Daley passed away last month at 92. The news was revealed via obituary from a Riverton, Wyoming funeral home.

Daley was a Long Beach native who signed with the Indians out of high school. He pitched in the minors over four-plus seasons and debuted as a September call-up in 1955. Daley pitched in a swing role for three years before Cleveland dealt him to the Orioles as part of a three-player package to reacquire Larry Doby and add lefty Don Ferrarese. Daley never pitched for Baltimore, who flipped him to the Kansas City Athletics for righty Arnie Portocarrero.

It was a nice pickup for the A’s. Daley spent the ’58 season in the bullpen but moved into the rotation the following year. He topped 200 innings and won 16 games in each of the next two seasons. Daley made four All-Star appearances — there were two All-Star Games per season at the time — and picked up some down-ballot MVP support.

The A’s traded Daley to the Yankees midway through the 1961 season, landing pitcher Art Ditmar and corner infielder Deron Johnson in return. That positioned Daley to win a pair of rings, as he remained in the Bronx on the World Series teams in 1961 and ’62. He was on both World Series rosters, combining for eight innings without allowing an earned run over three relief appearances.

Daley finished his career in 1964. He appeared in parts of 10 seasons and concluded his playing days with a 4.03 ERA through 967 1/3 innings. He recorded 549 strikeouts and posted a 60-64 record. MLBTR sends our condolences to Daley’s family, loved ones and friends.

Athletics Re-Sign T.J. McFarland

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Novemeber 8: McFarland is guaranteed a $1.8MM base salary, The Associated Press reports. The deal comes with another $250K in bonuses based on appearances. McFarland would unlock $50K in his 50th game and would receive another $100K apiece at 60 and 70 appearances.

November 7: The A’s are bringing left-handed reliever T.J. McFarland back ahead of their expected move to West Sacramento next year. The team announced Thursday they’ve agreed to terms with the free agent southpaw on a one-year deal for the 2025 season. McFarland is represented by Octagon.

McFarland, 35, spent the 2024 season in the A’s bullpen and was a reliable source of quality innings. He appeared in nearly half the team’s games (79) and pitched to a 3.81 ERA with a below-average 16.6% strikeout rate but strong walk and ground-ball rates of 7.2% and 57.3%, respectively. McFarland stymied left-handed opponents with a .234/.267/.324 batting line, though righties had an easier time with him, slashing .273/.364/.414 on the season.

This will be McFarland’s 13th season in the majors, and assuming he sticks on the roster for at least 122 days, he’ll reach the coveted 10 years of major league service time over the course of the 2025 campaign. The sinker-heavy southpaw carries a lifetime 4.10 ERA in the majors and has never been adept at missing bats (13.9% career strikeout rate, and career-high 18.2% mark in 2023). However, he’s one of the game’s premier ground-ball specialists (career 61.7%, and career-high 67.9% back in 2018) and has only thrice logged a worse-than-average walk rate in his lengthy career.

Somewhat incredibly, McFarland will become the only player on the A’s roster who has a guaranteed salary for the upcoming season. The rest of the roster includes four arbitration-eligible players — Brent Rooker, Seth Brown, Miguel Andujar and Dany Jimenez — but the rest of the players on the team’s 40-man roster have not yet even reached arbitration and thus do not have a salary locked in for next year. The A’s are widely expected to spend some money this offseason, be it via free agency or by acquiring players on guaranteed deals via the trade market, as they’ll need to spend a fair bit of cash in order to retain their status as a revenue-sharing recipient.

McFarland returns to a bullpen that lacks any real definition beyond star closer Mason Miller. Righty Tyler Ferguson posted nice numbers but did so as a 30-year-old rookie, making him something of a wild card. Hard-throwing righty Michel Otanez notched a 3.44 ERA and fanned 36.4% of his opponents in 34 innings … but also walked 13.2% of the hitters he faced. Twenty-seven-year-old Lefty Hogan Harris turned in a sub-3.00 ERA in 72 1/3 innings but had sub-par strikeout, walk and ground-ball rates (in addition to a disastrous 7.14 ERA in a comparable sample of innings in 2023).

Given the lack of defined roles beyond Miller, it’s likely the A’s will have multiple additions on the bullpen front. For now, McFarland looks like a candidate to work in some leverage spots against lefties who won’t be lifted for a pinch-hitter by the opposing manager. That said, A’s skipper Mark Kotsay typically used McFarland in low- and medium-leverage spots in 2025, so he’s not necessarily someone the team will throw right into full-on setup work.

The A’s could have some troubles drawing free agents to the team as they gear up to host home games in a Triple-A park for the next several seasons (assuming financing on their planned Las Vegas stadium is eventually finalized). But McFarland knows the team and the staff well, and for the well-traveled lefty, this new one-year deal offers him the opportunity to pitch consecutive seasons for the same team for just the second time in a span of seven seasons.

There’s obvious appeal in continuity for a pitcher who’s also spent time with the D-backs, A’s, Cardinals and Mets (plus a spring training with the Nationals) since 2019. It’s also just the second guaranteed deal he’s signed in what’s now five times through the free-agent process, so jumping early at a big league opportunity is both sensible and makes for a more relaxed offseason than the veteran southpaw is typically accustomed.

A’s Not Discussing Rotation Move For Mason Miller

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Last offseason, the Athletics moved Mason Miller from the rotation to the closing job. General manager David Forst said at the time that the A’s were open to building the right-hander back up as a starter after one season in relief. That doesn’t seem to be on the table for now.

“We’re not talking about moving him back into a starting role,” Forst told John Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle this week. While that doesn’t preclude having the conversation at some point during the offseason, it appears the likelier outcome is that Miller will remain in the ninth inning.

Stretching Miller back out would be a huge risk-reward play for the A’s. A few teams have had success with converted relievers in recent seasons. Garrett Crochet immediately looked like a budding ace when the White Sox gave him a starting job. Seth Lugo and Michael King have gone from setup relievers to borderline top-of-the-rotation starters. Reynaldo López and José Soriano found success but battled injury issues in their returns to starting. Free agent righty Jeff Hoffman has drawn interest as a potential rotation conversion.

Miller is talented enough that a Crochet arc would be within the realistic range of outcomes. The A’s are concerned that a starter’s workload would weigh heavily on his arm, though. Miller has battled shoulder and elbow injuries and pitched fewer than 40 innings in the minor leagues. He started six MLB games as a rookie in 2023. Miller was pitching well but forearm tightness shelved him between mid-May and the start of September. The A’s used him out of the bullpen for the season’s final month and kept him in that capacity this year.

The 26-year-old’s first full season as a closer could hardly have gone better. Miller’s already elite velocity jumped in short stints. His fastball averaged nearly 101 MPH and routinely got into the 103-104 range. Between that kind of life and a wipeout slider, Miller was almost untouchable. He turned in a 2.49 ERA while striking out almost 42% of opposing hitters through 65 innings. Opponents swung and missed at nearly a fifth of his offerings. Among relievers with 50+ innings, only Josh Hader and Braves’ breakout lefty Dylan Lee got swinging strikes more frequently. Miller locked down 28 of 31 save attempts.

Most importantly, Miller’s arm held up. His only injury this year was a three-week absence due to a small fracture in his non-throwing hand. (He reportedly sustained that injury when he struck a training table in frustration after a poor outing.) It took all of a few weeks for Miller to establish himself as an elite late-game weapon.

Relievers aren’t immune to injury, but the A’s clearly feel better about his chances to stay healthy working in 1-2 inning stints. Assuming they don’t reverse course later in the offseason, he’ll project as one of the best closers in baseball. Other teams called on Miller at the deadline and surely will do so again this winter, but a trade would be a surprise. He’s still a year from arbitration and under club control for five seasons. The A’s are no longer aggressively tearing down the roster. They were relatively quiet at the deadline. Forst has already declared they’re keeping Brent Rooker, their best trade chip aside from Miller.

The A’s will need to add multiple starting pitchers. Their rotation is among the thinnest in the league. Players like JP Sears, Mitch Spence and Joey Estes headline the group. They all look like back-of-the-rotation arms at best. With almost nothing on the books for next season, Forst and his staff should be able to take on money via trade and/or a mid-level free agent strike to add innings.

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