The A’s have non-tendered reliever Blake Treinen, reports Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle (via Twitter). He’d been projected for a $7.8MM salary, which the low-payroll A’s evidently found too steep. Additionally, the club is parting ways with reliever Ryan Buchter and catcher Josh Phegley, Slusser adds (via Twitter). Phegley had been projected for $2.2MM, while Buchter was in line for around $1.8MM.
Today’s news perhaps isn’t too surprising; MLBTR’s Jeff Todd and Steve Adams identified Treinen as a non-tender candidate last week. Oakland doesn’t figure to have much wiggle room in the budget this offseason, no doubt contributing to their efforts to find a taker for Treinen, Jurickson Profar ($5.8MM projection), and Phegley before tonight’s non-tender deadline. Profar ultimately landed in San Diego, while Treinen and Phegley were let go. Despite some late interest from the Yankees, though, the A’s were unable to match up on a Treinen deal.
Such an outcome would have been unthinkable a year ago. Treinen finished sixth in AL Cy Young voting in 2018, reflecting his otherworldly season. That year, he tossed 80.1 innings with a 0.78 ERA and sparkling peripherals. His 31.8% strikeout rate and 6.7% walk rate were easily the best numbers he’d put up since moving to the bullpen for good in 2015. Toss in Treinen’s typically strong ground ball ability (51.9% ground ball rate) and he was quite arguably baseball’s best reliever just a season ago.
Unfortunately, everything went backwards in 2019. Treinen’s ERA jumped more than four runs per nine to an unsightly 4.91. His strikeout rate regressed to a pedestrian 22.2%, while his walk rate more than doubled to a career-worst 13.9%. On top of all that, Treinen’s ground ball rate- his calling card dating back to his time as a National- fell nearly ten points. All that said, Treinen still boasts a high-90’s fastball and is one year removed from utter dominance, so he’ll surely attract interest. New York could be expected to touch base with his camp now that he’s a free agent, but almost any team in baseball could seek to add his upside to their bullpen.
Phegley, like Treinen, evidently failed to drum up significant trade interest. The 31-year-old slashed .239/.282/.411 (82 wRC+) in 342 plate appearances this season. While that’s actually solid for a catcher, he rated extremely poorly as a pitch framer, per Baseball Prospectus, which placed him 107th out of 113 backstops leaguewide. With the A’s acquiring Austin Allen to back up Sean Murphy in today’s Profar trade, the writing was on the wall for Phegley.
Buchter, meanwhile, pitched to a 2.98 ERA, making today’s news a bit surprising at first glance. However, that was the product of an unsustainable 91.4% strand rate, as Buchter’s 4.96 FIP suggests. His walk rate spiked to an alarming 11.6%, and Buchter’s always been a fly-ball pitcher. The home run finally caught up to him in 2019. Nevertheless, he comes with an additional season of arbitration control beyond 2020 and has sported an above-average strikeout rate in four consecutive seasons, so teams looking for left-handed bullpen help could certainly take an interest in him in free agency.
OH BOY HERE COME THE YANKEES!
someone might get a good deal on him, though i dont think he’ll be nearly as good as he was in 2018 again.
This is surprising?
No, it’s news
If cashman doesn’t get him something is seriously wrong
We all know the Yankees are going to snatch him up
Here come a lot of fan bases saying their team should take a chance on him rebounding.
Stupid… they could have traded him
I guess other teams realized he might be a non-tender, and weren’t willing to give up players if they thought they could get him as an FA.
I’m sure they tried. It’s not like they had much leverage, I doubt it’s much of a surprise to anyone that they were too cheap to keep him. Only reason for any team to give up anything of value is if they wanted him so bad that they don’t want to risk missing on him when he becomes a FA. If you think you can get him in FA and are willing to take the risk, you wait.
3,2,1……marlins pick him up
Wow that’s a short leash.
As a low payroll team don’t you think they could have sold him, i dont know him well. But i imagine they could have got something
Here it is, the first time the Yanks make a move and Mets faithful wish he went to the other side of NY
AND he’ll be a machine, business as usual
Sounds like a Friedman get…
His ERA was under 1 in 2018. He is absolutely someone Friedman should take a chance on.
Red Sox should take a chance on him
I expect he’ll sign a two year deal with low guarantees and a lot of incentives.
Stupid, they gave big money to Fernando Rodney last year and he wasn’t even remotely good the year before, why not Treinen with the way higher ceiling? $7M isn’t even that much. Cowards.
cowards? How does this classify as cowardly????
Not taking the fake “risk” of paying $7M to a guy who might put up the best relief numbers of all time?
Treinen has been up and down as a reliever. His fast ball had 0 movement on it and they crushed him. Its a $7 million gamble on if he will be good or bad. maybe the A’s knows his dead arm last year has not gotten better this off season.
Only the A’s could think a 0.78 ERA was a fluke
and most everyone else who follows relief pitchers
“He’d been projected for a $7.8MM salary, which the low-payroll A’s evidently found too steep.”
I’d think MOST teams would balk at paying almost $8M/yr for a player who’s currently no better than a middle reliever.
Another lazy “can’t think of a tag line so A’S CHEAP!” writer.
How is reporting the facts considered lazy? The low-payroll A’s found his 2020 salary to be too steep. Those are the facts.
How would you rewrite this article without including that the A’s are a small budget team?
Some teams are willing to bet money a pitcher can rebound to back-of-the-pen form (see Nationals, signing Rosenthal to $7 million after TJ and two mediocre seasons). The A’s are not one of those teams, and readers that are unfamiliar with the team, or who only know Treinen as an all-star pitcher (his best season was not very long ago), can benefit from that information, even if it is common knowledge to the rest of us.
Gotta love a “small budget” team that plays in a massive market where all the money is!
This is the most important point made here. He had the one eye-popping season but has been quite mortal over the rest of his career. His arbitration salary is the reason why he was impossible to trade. Someone will take a chance on him for sure, but at somewhere around half that much.
Treinen will be a popular target. Maybe he repeats his 2018 performance.
Interesting seeing as it was reported NY was interested in dealing for him. I wonder why they didn’t just take something instead of losing him for nothing
Now Treinan can go wherever he wants, I see him going somewhere in the midwest.
You have to love non-tender season. Players like Trienen and Souza will almost certainly find landing spots. Walker though is an interesting case though. Walkers potential is significant but so are all the injuries he has.
Can someone inform me if Walker is still injured or will he be able to report to spring training like normal? It’s sad to me that Walker has so much talent but his body just won’t let him get there.
Souza wolnt get a Big League deal. too many injuries and an unerwhelming skillset when healthy.
Padres could make a run would be a good setup or closer if they do trade Yates
So why wouldn’t he go somewhere where he can at least compete to be the closer? One or two year deal with Boston, Twins or stay with A’s on a team friendly deal.
if he went to SF, SD, SEA or another more pitcher friendly park he could very well bounce back and build some value – I don’t see him doing well in BOS or NY
Hmm Buchter too damn
I’m surprised this wasn’t brought up. Underrated non-tender.
I agree very underrated
Look. I’m not an expert obviously. But here’s my opinion. Mark my words when I say this. This is a mistake. I would guess he’d have a sub 2.50 ERA if Oakland held onto him. Wherever he goes, I still believe he can be good again. 2018 was not a fluke. I don’t know if he’ll return to all star form, but he has a pretty good shot at being a top ten reliever again. Especially if the balls are a little less juiced. He’s gonna have a pretty darn good comeback year if he can stay healthy throughout because I think injuries also played a huge factor in performance. I get the A’s can’t afford him, but sometimes you have to bite the bullet if you want to be good.
Looking at Edwin Diaz and Blake Treinen it’s obvious that teams should sell high on their closers. The Mariners got a kings ransom and salary relief for Diaz when they sold high and the As get nothing for Blake Treinen. Take note Brewers and Padres.
They got salary relief because of Cano
They got Cano’s salary relieved because they included Diaz in that deal. Which was Joe’s point – selling high on closers can bring back excellent value (even if that is by subtraction).
My bad I spoke out of turn
Since some are writing off the possibility of Treinen staying an Athletic, it’s worth noting that non-tendering a player doesn’t mean the A’s are done with him by any means. Mike Fiers was non-tendered last offseason, and then signed a two-year deal for less money per year than he’d have made from arbitration. Wouldn’t surprise me at all to see that happen again.
Sure, but now the other 29 teams get an equal shot. Perversely the non-tender could end up benefiting the player if he can find a team willing to give him three years, which wouldn’t surprise me. Probably that team won’t be the A’s but who knows.
man, i always try and defend the A’s and their spending, but every time i do they do something like this. Trienen and Phegley were the right choice id say, but non-tendering Butcher is unforgivable.
I’d agree but it’s Treinen that you pay $7M next year for, especially when you set precedence with Rodney last year. Buchter was not good last year despite the ERA.
Strike Four, Since the A’s moved to Oakland in 1968 they have been one of the cheapest teams ever. They collected money from MLB to the tune of $30+ million a year and never spend a dam dime of it. It was all pocketed by Wolf & Fisher.
It’s a dam shame, because if they did they would have great teams and a new ballpark years ago. The rich get richer and the A’s faithful get screwed !!
Not true. During the 80s they had the highest payroll in baseball at 1 point. After the haas family sold the team i n the 90s they had a very cheap owner.
Why do I feel like the Pirates would want all of these guys? Can see Treinen as their closer next season.
Is Treinen even cleared to start throwing yet? he was shut down last year
What’s stupider than nontendering Trenien was tendering Grossman, who’s literally a dime a dozen talent
I think the 3 batter requirement led to Butcher being non tendered
Does that start next season? Between that and his peripherals, a non-tender makes some sense.
Everyone called their bluff on Treinen. If no one wanted to give up anything for him doesn’t that tell you his true value?
There are better situations for him personally than the Yankees
Sucks the A’s couldn’t afford to gamble on a bounce back year to see if he’s healthy. He’s shown he has great upside and shouldn’t have a problem finding a taker. If the Angels can gamble on Cody Allen Id certainly like to see them try on Treinen
Phillies!!!