5:29pm: Kiekhefer has indeed elected free agency, MLBTR has learned.
2:37pm: The A’s have now announced that both Smolinski and Kiekhefer were outrighted, and the organization further announced that right-hander Chris Hatcher has been outrighted off the 40-man after clearing waivers as well.
Hatcher, 34 in January, appeared in 34 games and pitched to a 4.95 ERA in 36 1/3 innings for Oakland this past season, averaging 7.4 K/9, 4.2 BB/9, 1.73 HR/9 and a 42 percent ground-ball rate along the way. Hatcher’s average fastball velocity (93.6 mph) and swinging-strike rate (7.9 percent) have plummeted from their 2015 peaks (96 mph, 12.6 percent, respectively). He’s struggled in each of the past three seasons and would’ve been arbitration-eligible, with a projected $2.4MM salary.
12:37pm: Outfielder Jake Smolinski and left-hander Dean Kiekhefer have both been outrighted off the Athletics’ 40-man roster after clearing waivers, per the MLB.com transactions page. Smolinski has already elected free agency, I’m told, and it seems likely that Kiekhefer will do so as well, as is commonplace in these scenarios.
Smolinski, 30 in February, has seen limited action with Oakland over the past two seasons after logging a career-high 319 plate appearances in 2016. The former second-rounder (Nationals, 2007) mashed at a .278/.372/.548 clip in Triple-A this season but hit just .128/.171/.205 in a tiny sample of 41 plate appearances. (His season was cut short by a blood clot in his left calf.) In parts of four seasons with the Oakland organization, Smolinski is a .227/.287/.357 with a dozen homers, 14 doubles and five triples in a combined 507 plate appearances.
That production isn’t particularly eye-catching, but the right-handed-hitting Smolinski has been a menace in platoon settings, hitting .282/.351/.473 against left-handers to this point in his career. Defensively, Smolinski has experience at all three outfield positions and has played anywhere from average to slightly above-average defense, per Defensive Runs Saved and Ultimate Zone Rating. He’d been arbitration-eligible for the A’s, albeit with a modest projection of an $800K salary, per MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz.
As for Kiekhefer, the 29-year-old southpaw pitched just two innings for the A’s in 2018 but enjoyed a strong minor league campaign between the Reds and A’s organizations. In 58 1/3 minor league frames, Kiekhefer posted a 3.39 ERA with a terrific 51-to-8 K/BB ratio and above-average ground-ball tendencies. Left-handed opponents posted a .224/.263/.346 slash against him between the Majors and minors this season.
Kiekhefer’s big league experience is limited to 24 innings of 6.38 ERA ball between St. Louis (in 2016) and Oakland, but he’s turned in 204 innings of 3.03 ERA ball with 7.0 K/9 against 1.7 BB/9 in parts of five seasons at the Triple-A level. Given that track record, he should have little difficulty finding interest as a minor league free agent this offseason.
Smo’s a fifth OF in a world where MLB teams don’t carry 5 OFers anymore…….Keikhefer’s maintained a 3.00 ERA over 5 PCL seasons (not an easy thing), which means somebody will sign him as a MiLB Free Agent and maybe strike a little gold…..
The issue with Kiekhefer is a lack of strikeouts generally. If he can limit walks like he has and maintain a 7+ k/9 average he should be a solid buy low.
I thought smolinski was descent
Yeah, I like Smolinski too. Unfortunately, he got hurt and then when he came back A’s outfield was just crowded…
guess they got rid of the fellas
Mets need to grab Kiekhefer before others do. They should know him from his PCL experience. They need to jettison Jerry Blevins, as his act has worn thin. Sounds like Kiek would be the a nice fit into that open spot.
Tigers should add all three to their major league roster. Instant improvements.
A’s fans celebrate no more Hatcher to watch give up bombs. A’s have a stack bullpen next year so I am expecting Rodney’s option not being picked up.
Here;s the thing with Kiekhefer.
He has great control and has shown the ability to limit home runs and induce a strong amount of groundballs, which has helped him tremendously in the PCL. Unfortunately, he has had much more difficulty in the major leagues based on the fact that his fastball averages 87 and his stuff is really not that good, and thus much less effective against major leaguers.
While I don’t doubt that he’s a decent enough LOOGY, he strikes me as a mid-4’s ERA taxi guy who puts up replacement level to slightly below replacement level numbers. I would put his ceiling as a middle relief guy.
Since I said that, he’s probably going to be a closer, but that’s beside the point.
As for Smolinski, I see him as a potentially league average bat overall with above average defense in center. He has very underrated power, and has shown the ability to take a walk here and there at some points, Bobtilman hit the nail on the head in that he’s a 5th outfielder in a world where they don’t succeed quite as much anymore. I think if he’s healthy, though, he gets a major league cameo at the very least. If he can post walk numbers similar to his AAA numbers from this past season, he could work his way into a platoon situation, or even a back of the order starter on a rebuilding team, but thats a major if.