6:54PM: The A’s have officially selected Weems’ contract and added him to their 40-man roster, as per a team announcement.
6:32PM: Right-hander Jordan Weems has been told he will be part of the Athletics’ Opening Day roster, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports. Weems will need to be added to the 40-man roster, so the A’s will have to make another transaction prior to their July 24 season opener.
The news marks quite a journey for the 27-year-old Weems, who is in line for his first taste of big league baseball after being drafted by the Red Sox in the third round of the 2011 draft. Originally selected as a catcher, Weems transitioned to pitching in 2016 and posted some solid numbers (3.87 ERA, 2.00 K/BB rate, 9.4 K/9) over 200 innings, though only 15 of those frames were at the Triple-A level.
After electing free agency last fall, Weems signed a minor league deal with Oakland in December and has since turned some heads within his new organization. “He has a riding fastball, that split-finger fastball and an occasional breaking ball,” according to A’s pitching Scott Emerson. “For a converted guy to be able to command the top part of the zone with a fastball and something soft at the bottom of the zone is pretty good for a guy who hasn’t done much pitching.”
This repertoire and a live fastball that has touched 98mph also attracted the attention of other teams, as Slusser writes that Weems “likely would have had multiple big league offers elsewhere” had the A’s decided against putting him on the MLB roster. If he hadn’t made the roster, Weems had an opt-out clause in his minor league contract.
wow good for him
Good for him man. I wonder if something bad happened if he would be the emergency catcher
If Murphy *and* one of Allen/Heim are hurt, and it’s during a game, it’s super-utilityman Chad Pinder, who played everywhere except pitcher and catcher last year and carries a glove for every position in his bag.
Outside of a game, the other side of Allen/Heim gets the call from the taxi squad first.
This is awesome. Went to HS with the guy. Super nice, down to earth.
Yay! I find it really impressive that he just started professionally pitching in 2016. Good for him.
He has strikeout stuff. Even if you option him, you have a few years to work with him (on minimal salary) and help his journey progress. It looks like a no-brainer move for the A’s.
Seems like nice story but hes likely a seldom used, depth guy. Of course relievers are usually unpredictable. Unless he gets chances and surprises i dont see him being around when rosters get trimmed to 26. Also i wonder what they do with daniel mengden whos out of options and probably be 7th in line among starting pitchers once you get past manaea, fiers, montas, luzardo, puk and bassitt.
I’m guessing Mengden sticks around on the active roster as an extra innings type of long reliever and Gossett gets the boot, given he still has options
Dont think another move is necessary I dont think they added anyone to the 40 man after trading Mateo to SD without receiving a player back.
About every year the A’s find a diamond in the rough. I guess this year its Weems. Could he be the next Doolittle?
For the A’s fans here maybe not seen him.. I’ve watched few games since he transitioned to relief, as have many other Sox fans with milb,com tv and he does sit in the mid 90’s with his FB. Wouldn’t say he commands it all that well from how remember him, but hey.. Anybody who sits and throws strikes in the mid 90’s period is better than generic hard tossers who throw wildly are they not?
I’m happy for him, he never really did hit at all as a catcher and this was the better route, much like another guy they protected this year in Yoan Aybar who throws mid-upper 90’s.
Oh Weems an A?
Oh Weems an A!
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