7:58 pm: Kozma has officially elected free agency, per the team.
11:38 am: The A’s have outrighted veteran infielder Pete Kozma off their 40-man roster, according to MLB.com’s transactions log. Oakland has yet to formally announce the move, but Kozma will become a free agent now that he’s gone unclaimed on waivers.
Kozma, 33, was added to the Athletics’ 40-man roster for the season’s final weekend after Elvis Andrus suffered a season-ending leg fracture. He went 1-for-11 during that Oakland cameo — his first big league action since the 2018 season in Detroit. The rest of Kozma’s season was spent with Triple-A Las Vegas, where he batted .244/.307/.337 in 500 plate appearances and collected the 1000th hit of his minor league career.
Best known for his time with the Cardinals, Kozma was the primary for St. Louis in 2013 when the Cards fell to the Red Sox in the World Series. He hit just .217/.275/.273 in 448 plate appearances that season but graded out as a plus defensive infielder on a Cardinals staff that had the game’s second-highest ground-ball percentage.
That was the only season in which Kozma ever logged even semi-regular action. His 111 plate appearances with the 2015 Cardinals are the second-highest mark he’s reached in any of his eight big league seasons. In 825 plate appearances at the Major League level, Kozma is a .213/.276/.288 hitter. He’s a lifetime .235/.305/.340 hitter in the minors and could latch on as a depth option somewhere else in minor league free agency.
Frees up a spot to bring Semien home (hahaha). F U John Fisher!!!!
Future Cardinal
past Cardinal
Krash Kozma, he of 1k MiLB hits.
“That’s what you get for waking up in Vegas…”
He’s had a better MILB and MLB than I’ve had,
Than most of us 😉
Was fun to watch his glove in STL but at least I got a foul ball off him in the playoffs one year.
You should feel honored. He didn’t put bat to ball very often.
…..now THAT’S my first laugh of the day
Probably destined for a future career in coaching.
Cardinals have not been back to the World Series since he played SS and Carpenter had his best season ever playing 2B in 2013. Best defensive duo in the league that season.
He was on opening day rosters for STL and one for Yankees.
Pete can thank Rafeal Furcal for still being talked about.
SMH there goes our 2022 season hopes
Hopefully they took their time to make this decision, otherwise they’d be Russian to make Kozma naught.
What an awful joke.
Actually, a pretty damn clever pun
since they dumped him, wouldn’t it be Kouzma Nyet?
I remember being shocked when the Cardinals drafted him in the first round. The scouting report on him even then wasn’t very optimistic. All these years later and I’m still wondering what they saw.
Kozma could be an interesting infielder coach. He should be a big help for young infielders going forwards.
I’m shocked he was still playing professional baseball.
How convenient. On the same day, the Braves collapse again in the postseason, Mr. “Infield fly” decides to become a free agent.
He was on the A’s!?!?
The Washington Nationals Will Always Remember Pete Kozma.
So will Braves fans
Met Pete in an elevator after a Memphis Redbirds game. Nice dude, always hoped he would catch on.