The A’s announced they’ve claimed infielder Ernie Clement off waivers from the Guardians, who’d designated him for assignment earlier this week. Oakland also recalled reliever Sam Selman from Triple-A Las Vegas and placed right-hander Joel Payamps on the 15-day injured list with a lumbar strain. The A’s already had an opening on the 40-man roster, so no additional corresponding move was necessary.
Clement changes organizations for the first time in his career. A fourth-round pick out of Virginia in 2017, the right-handed hitter spent a few seasons generally ranked at the back half of Cleveland’s top 30 prospects. One of the game’s highest-contact batters, he worked his way up the minor league ladder and eventually earned a spot on the 40-man roster heading into the 2021 campaign. After opening last season with Triple-A Columbus, he received his first MLB call last June.
The 26-year-old has bounced on and off the active roster over the past year-plus. Clement has tallied 294 major league plate appearances, hitting .214/.273/.274. He’s only picked up three home runs and doubles apiece, and his well below-average exit velocities have muted his overall offensive impact. He’s continued to showcase excellent bat-to-ball skills against MLB arms, though, making contact on greater than 85% of his swings and only going down on strikes in 14.6% of his plate appearances (well below this year’s 22.3% league average). He’s been better overall in the minors, hitting .261/.311/.419 with a 13% strikeout rate over 238 Triple-A plate appearances.
In addition to his plus contact skills, Clement offers a fair bit of defensive versatility. He’s capable of playing anywhere on the infield, with the bulk of his professional experience coming at shortstop. He’s played mostly second and third base in the majors, with brief stints both at shortstop and in left field. The A’s have plenty of long-term uncertainty on the infield, giving Clement an opportunity to at least carve out a utility role if he can make a bit more impact from a power perspective.
Clement is in his second minor league option year, so the A’s can bounce him between Oakland and Triple-A Las Vegas through the end of next season if he holds his spot on the 40-man roster. He won’t be arbitration-eligible until after the 2024 season at the earliest.
“Cousin” Ernie to his fans..
Next year should be an interesting year for the young A’s. So much talent in the minors still developing and also las Vegas stadium situation should be clear by then ‘cause all points towards that A’s ownership mainly Gap mogul John Fisher (Billy Beane is just a minority owner with about 4%) does not want to be in Oakland pure and simple.
I don’t see next year being much different than this year. Most of the top prospects are in low minors so I anticipate 2024 for Soderstrom and Gelof and maybe Muncy and whatever outfielders progress.
Gelof, Harris, Diaz probably in AAA next yr. soderstrom, Clarke, butler in AA. Late next year, probably could see some of the . I was surprised they recalled Diaz,
Soderstrom is ready-now and will likely be on the 2023 opening day team, or joining early on. He ended the year at AAA. They should bring him up now, along with Schuemann, McCann and Gelof should be called up for the last week or so too.
I was at this game yesterday with a few dozen other A’s fans, and to say it was grim would be kind.
HIs attempts to extort Oakland into giving him tax free downtown developments hasn’t gone well. MLB set a deadline for a stadium contract but I think he has another year or so.
A’s aren’t moving to Vegas, at least not on the tax payers dime. However, if the rumors are true and the NBA announces it’s next expansion cities being Seattle and Las Vegas then that might lesson the blow to a degree as more sports related revenue coming in without the cost of building a new arena (they would share T-mobile Arena with the Golden Knights)
Las Vegas will never ever get a MLB team. The people there need to face the facts: its never going to be a big league sports city. The Raiders won’t last there.
This move makes sense.
Good move by the As
Good luck, Ernie! Class act who can play any position on the ball diamond. Ultimately was DFA’d because Cleveland has sooooo many up and coming prospects with higher ceilings.
How is Kirby Snead still on the team? He is the worse reliever this year but they keep him on the team. Is he friends with the gm?
@Arc2. He was college teammates with AJ Puk on the Florida Gators. But the main reason he is still on the team is because he was a part of the insanely bad return from the Matt Chapman trade. Too much ego involved with admitting that Trade was a mistake.
3 of those 4 prospects we got for Chapman look like 4A fodder, and no better than the minor leaguers we already had in the system. Do any of Snead, Kevin Smith, or Zach Logue have a future on this team? Logue has been passed up by Waldichuk and Sears. Smith is batting .220 in Triple-A as a 27-year old. Not good. The only hope from that Trade is the pitcher who still has a bad elbow, Gunnar Hoglund.
Lets just stop trading 3rd Baseman to the Blue Jays. We have gotten fleeced both times.
That was one bad trade. i took Snead was a throw in on the trade. Still makes me wonder why they didn’t ask for Espinosa in the deal. Logue looks like a bullpen pitcher. Another bad trade by the A’s.
2 years of a 3-4 WAR player isnt as valuable as you think it is.
No one wanted Chapman. There was no market for him. He also was coming off a terrible hitting year.
Nah fam you are just butt hurt, cost controlled 3-4 WAR is incredibly valuable for a team that is dedicated to winning
Wouldn’t ’bunt hurt’ be a more appropriate baseball term?
College teammates that go to the same beauty parlor perhaps? At the risk of appearing jealous, these guys have gorgeous hair.
I get it, but he’s a reliever. He will likely have a great season next year, that’s always how it goes.
Stands should be packed for this weekend Mets series with a’s fans (both of them!!!)
I thought they got kicked out of all future As games
Yawn.
Both positions have been mostly terrible for Oakland this season (especially 3B) not really sure if Clement is an upgrade over what they already have but it gives them an option off the bench for next season if nothing else
Didn’t the A’s learn anything from Daric Barton? Defense is worthless unless you can hit, only SS and backup C are the only bad bats allowed. Matt Olson had both the big bat + elite glove, try and find that player, not more weak-hitting infielders.
A’s need bats, they need mashers…this is not one of those.
So sick of “defensive versatility” being a cover for keeping a miserable hitter on the roster, give me 8 regulars who can play 150 G a year.
Some mashers should arrive soon, and maybe by the end of next Season.
Soderstrom, Lawrence Butler, Gelof ( although he’s more like a Mark Canha type than a true home run hitter). Caatcher Kyle McCann is another name to watch.
He .could be the Left-handed hitting platoon Catcher next to Langeliers, by the end of next year, if Murphy gets traded away.
Our playoff teams have historically had a Left-handed hitting Catchers – Ron Hassey, Jamie Quirk, Greg Myers, Adam Melhuse, come to mind. McCann will hopefully bring more to the table than recent LH Catchers we have rolled-out.
With our soon-to-be Lottery pick in the Draft, they could draft a Masher like Zack Gelof’s little brother, Jake Gelof, who hit .370 and had 20+Homers this past season in College.
Or Wyatt Langford, another masher playing at Florida. Look them up on youtube. Both would bring some needed Power to our minor league system.
With how much variance even #1 picks have, I’d just like any MLB regular or at least 1x all-star who doesn’t get injured often.
MLB Draft is so weird, it’s not like NBA although there are high number busts in both, in MLB every year the top 10 has guys who don’t play a game in MLB.
“Mashers” cost money, so the A’s are left waiting to develop their own or hope something falls into their laps. Definitely no Aaron Judge’s coming to Oakland but maybe a Joey Gallo type falls in their lap on a one year pillow contract.
2023 is going to be another down year in Oakland regardless of what they do. Reinforcements are coming though
No way they will be worse next year – they are legit awful this year but many of these rookies will likely improve now they’ve had a taste and know what it takes to get their game to the next level. I love Nick Allen and see his achievable ceiling as a top 10, Jose Altuve body/offense + Ozzie Smith defense. He’s so awesome and I love his IQ. Only a matter of time until the bat comes together but he’s showing a lot even in his outs.
Cristian Pache has all the tools but his swing and mechanics are a total mess. He does something different in the box every single pitch – that’s a textbook “do not do this” – someone tell him! Nomar did a lot, be he did the exact same thing!
Dermis Garcia looking good, Jordan Diaz, Shea Langeliers and Conor Capel might be regulars next season too. Add them to Allen, Brown, Laureano and Murphy and Soderstrom (ended at AAA, possibly ready for ’23) and that’s a nice mix. Including the high pick this year, A’s will be niiiice by 2024 imo we can never trust the Mariners, Angels or Rangers to do the right thing or make the moves needed to win, they have worse front offices than the A’s do and that’s why the A’s will quickly leap over them.
Vimael Machin, meet Ernie Clement. Ernie, Vimael will explain what the next 3 years will be like in the organization…
Get Andujar!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The A’s DO actually need a 3B for next season as a bridge to Zack Gelof! Good call, that’s a nice match, Andujar looking for regular ABs, A’s needing to fill at least 80 games at 3B….
Andujar is not a 3B. He is absolutely horrible defensively at 3B.
Definitely agree, and there’s little downside to see if he can fix himself