The Athletics announced Thursday that they’ve designated left-hander Wei-Chung Wang for assignment and placed designated hitter Khris Davis on the paternity list. Wang’s spot on the 40-man roster will go to infield prospect Sheldon Neuse, whose previously reported promotion to the big leagues is now official. Davis can be on the paternity list until Sept. 1, and at that point rosters will expand, so it’s likely that Neuse will be with the MLB club through season’s end.
Wang, 27, has pitched to an aesthetically pleasing 3.33 ERA through 27 innings with the A’s this season, but he’s also managed just a 16-to-11 K/BB ratio with a 30.5 percent ground-ball rate in that time. His success has been propped up by a .231 average on balls in play and an 84.5 percent strand rate — neither of which seems particularly sustainable over a larger sample. Oakland isn’t short on lefty options in the ‘pen, either; Ryan Buchter has been a constant in the bullpen for much of the past two seasons, and he’s joined there by deadline acquisition Jake Diekman and recently promoted top prospect A.J. Puk. That depth had relegated Wang to Triple-A Las Vegas, where he’s logged a 4.78 ERA with 24 strikeouts, eight walks and five homers allowed in 26 1/3 innings.
Although this season’s performance has been mixed both in Triple-A and at the MLB level, Wang does sport a career 3.20 ERA with 7.8 K/9 against 1.7 BB/9 in 115 2/3 innings of Triple-A pitching. If he goes unclaimed on outright waivers, he’ll have the right to reject an assignment to the minors in favor of free agency by virtue of the fact that he’s been outrighted off a 40-man roster in the past.
Even if Wang is claimed by another club, the former Rule 5 pick is in his final option season, thus hurting his chances of sticking with a team into the 2020 season. Any club could take a flier on Wang via outright waivers and give him a September bullpen audition, but because he’ll be out of options in Spring Training, he’d need to either break camp with a club or once again be placed on waivers.
Wang in. Boshers out. Please.
but their respective RealERA (TM) marks!
Chisox could use him, and drop Dylan Cease. Today Cease has given up 8 more runs in two innings of work.
ouch!!!
Always go Wang first.
Everybody have fun tonight everybody Wang Chung tonight
song popped in my head the second I read the headline.
Klentak, i know he wolnt fall to you…but get him anyway. in all seriousness, why do this?
You.. Have.. No… Marbles!
If the Rays were smart they’d pick him up and replace Castillo. Castillo has consistently given up our leads in almost every game he’s played since her came back from the IL. We’re so close to hanging onto the wild card spot and we need arms that can get us there.
Wouldn’t say Wang would necessarily get you there.
Nobody named Wang Chung will have fun tonight…
They A’s have gotta send Treinen down. He’s become a liability. Bring up Manaea instead.
Just amazes me how much he’s fallen off since last year. If both Treinen and Trivino were the same as last year mixed in with this years Hendriks that bullpen would easily be the best in baseball.
Can’t just demote anyone you want, they can’t do that. with him.
I’m not too sure about that. Treinen struggled with control earlier in the year, but he has mostly regained his control. What I have seen is that too many of his pitches are up in the zone, compared to last year where 99% of the time his pitches would be at the knees. I keep thinking he is back, but then he gets hit hard. The outing against the cubs, then last night when he couldn’t record an out. He didn’t get hit hard or anything yesterday, just got really unlucky, weak grounder overturned for an infield hit, a walk and then 2 more ground balls that were just in the wrong spot. I worry more about diekman, who just seems that he never can control anything.
If wang gets picked up that will be the last 3 players DFA get picked up on waivers. what a deep 40 man.
Or the guys picked up are fringe, end of roster, AAA depth guys which taylor, martini and now wang are. If everyone else was healthy taylor, martini, and wang wouldve been suck in AAA most if not all of this season
Is Sheldon Neuse OAK’s 2B of the future? He is a 3B in MiLB but is blocked by Matt Chapman.
He’s one of a mix of Barreto, Mateo and Pinder, but Pinder is used everywhere, so, yeah, if Neuse goes off (Noises off?) in the next month he could claim the role.
At least now they have room for: Long Duk Dong !!
When he talks about aspects of his breaking pitch, does he refer to them as Points on the Curve?
Everyone Chung Wang tonight!