The Athletics have agreed to a minor league contract with right-handed reliever Jaime Schultz, per Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle (Twitter link). He’ll be invited to Major League Spring Training and vie for a bullpen job in camp.
Schultz, 28, has spent the past two seasons in the Rays and Dodgers organizations, where he’s scuffled to a combined 5.86 ERA in 35 1/3 innings at the MLB level. Schultz has averaged 9.7 K/9 during that time but has also surrendered an average of 5.1 walks and 1.8 homers per nine innings of work. That said, Schultz averaged just under 96 mph on his fastball in 2019, has a career 12.5 percent swinging-strike rate in the big leagues and was in the 87th percentile of MLB pitchers in terms of fastball spin rate this past season, perhaps suggesting there’s more in the tank.
Schultz has also appeared in parts of four Triple-A campaigns and notched a 4.42 ERA with 12.1 K/9 against 4.9 BB/9 in 226 innings. He’s been more of a fly-ball pitcher since moving to the bullpen a few years back but did post an above-average 47.2 percent mark in that regard with the Dodgers’ Triple-A affiliate in 2019.
A’s love these kind of moves. One never know how a sign like this will pan out…
Wish the A’s luck with him. As a Dodger he threw batting practice to major league hitters when given his opportunities…
The problem with Shultz isn’t gas in the tank, it’s an inability to keep the wheels on the road.
Yet another under the radar signing by Oakland that will probably turn to gold for them. Much like the Rays, they know how to identify and cultivate talent better than 90% of the MLB teams. Watch this guy become a staple in their bullpen this year!
No risk move. I liked him as a “prospect” with the Rays. Cards/Pirates/Reds/Rays, all should have been taking a chance on the guy.