The Athletics announced Thursday that they’ve claimed outfielder/first baseman Brent Rooker off waivers from the Royals. Kansas City designated Rooker for assignment earlier in the week.
Rooker, 28, was the No. 35 overall draft pick by the division-rival Twins back in 2017. The hope was that the former Mississippi State slugger could be a quick-the-Majors source of pop for the Twins, and that proved to be partially true. Rooker mashed his way through the minor leagues, reaching Triple-A by the 2019 season and hitting .281/.398/.535 through 274 plate appearances there. Minnesota gave him a brief big league look during the shortened 2020 season, and Rooker responded with a 6-for-19 showing, including a homer and a pair of doubles.
Unfortunately, that brief production didn’t carry over into a larger sample in 2021. Rooker remained productive in Triple-A (.245/.367/.564, 20 homers in 62 games) but managed only a .201/.291/.397 slash with an ugly 32.9% strikeout rate in 213 plate appearances at the MLB level in 2021. The Twins sent Rooker to San Diego alongside Taylor Rogers in the trade that brought Chris Paddack and Emilio Pagan to Minnesota, and Rooker again thrived in Triple-A while struggling in limited MLB action.
Overall, Rooker is a .200/.289/.379 hitter in 270 Major League plate appearances but a .274/.387/.590 hitter in 906 Triple-A plate appearances. While he’s seen time both in left field and at first base in his career, however, scouting reports at the time of the draft called it a stretch for him to ever be a full-time outfielder, and that’s just how things have played out so far. In just 386 2/3 innings in the outfield corners, Rooker has posted -11 Defensive Runs Saved, -7 Outs Above Average and a -4.8 Ultimate Zone Rating. Ultimately, if he’s to solidify himself in the big leagues, his bat will need to carry the day, and he’ll likely need to move to either first base or designated hitter.
Rooker has one minor league option year remaining, so the A’s will be able to shuttle him between Oakland and Triple-A Las Vegas in 2022 — assuming he lasts the whole offseason on the 40-man roster. Oakland is as good a landing spot as Rooker could have hoped for, given that the rebuilding A’s only have two set outfielders in the out-of-options Cristian Pache and Ramon Laureano — the latter of whom could be traded. Lefty-swinging Seth Brown will rotate between the outfield corners, first base and DH, but there’s clearly playing time available for Rooker if he can hit his way into a roster spot next spring.
Interesting acquisition. Can he play 1B?
Him and Garcia will compete for 1B/DH in spring training.
Garcia ain’t the answer, K’s way too much.
SSS but agreed.
A’s are in need of COF/DH bats just as much as 1B. Dermis deserves a bit of a longer look and the cheapskate John Fisher might just plug him in there until Soderstrom arrives mid-to-late in the season, although he might mash his way onto the Opening Day lineup, if youve seen that swing, there’s not much left other than maybe a bit of seasoning just because he’s 21. A’s have too many catchers for Soderstrom to stick at catcher, he’s the guy at 1B for them.
I think Rooker is going to compete with Díaz more than García for 1B. I’ve already got Díaz ahead of him in my depth chart.
Díaz will be either 3B or 2B. I think the A’s struck gold with him.
What do they do with David MacKinnon? He seems to be getting Squeezed out of the Corner infield mix with Diaz, Dermis, Kevin Smith, Seth Brown, all ticketed for playing time.
MacKinnon has put up solid Hitting stats in the minors the last couple of years.
Just give me someone other than Vimael Machin every game at 3B. That was a head scratcher for me. I wanted Sheldon Neuse to get a larger sample size.
MacKinnon is gone. I’m right there with you about Machin. The A’s tried to tease us saying “Machin got a heavier bat and will result in more power.” Other than a few doubles, I didn’t see this supposed power.
Agreed, MacKinnon is a nobody and likely will be in a new org in April, he’s not Conner Capel, who is the opposite. A’s won the lotto there. A’s only got MacKinnon because they needed a 1B last year and were trying everyone.
I was surprised the A’s got Capel for nothing. He’s going to be a nice complimentary player in that lineup.
Soderstrom is definitely moving off C. Wouldn’t be shocked to see him in LF next year.
@NineChampionships – why LF? He’s been getting plenty of time at 1B, its clear that’s where the A’s are going to put him.
Diaz is too short to play 1B, but I agree he is a sleeper talent who might blossom into something special.
They still had him get catching time even after the promotion to AAA. His bat + catching skills is too much to ignore.
Right, they are going to do the stupid thing and try and go for “defensive versatility” over “stick him at the same place and let him figure out hitting MLB pitching” and he will be bad for months for no reason because of it.
If Soderstrom mashes in spring, the A’s need to put him on the OD roster and start at 1B. It was obviously apparent he would be moved off catcher when they drafted Susac.
Most likely because he is a LF and RF
Read the article, the answer is there.
“Read the article”
Nice claim. Former 1st rounder with a big bat and good numbers in the AAA. Could be just another AAAA type player but a solid depth piece nonetheless.
I recall he had a monster senior season for Mississippi State. Seems like an Adam Duvall type. Big power, defense a quesiton mark. I guess he can compete for a 1B/DH spot.
One thing I worry about is most of the Power in the Batting lineup is right-handed and outside of Seth Brown, we have a bunch of Slap hitters from the left-handed side.
Agreed and I especially worry about the A’s targeting guys like Yonny Hernandez – a whole team of Tony Kemps wont win you anything despite what A’s brass seems to think. They should be going for all big bats, not slap hitting AAAA-ish guys.
Claiming Yonny was definitely a head scratcher.
@A’sfaninUK
The “Slap hitting” teams are going to be so much better than loading up on all K/Power guys. Limited shifts means the live ball is back.
Smart teams would’ve been stocking up on guys who put the bat on the ball.
He was great in the Walking Dead and Mallrats
Red Sox should trade for Laureano and Murphy. Bloom will probably settle for Conforto and Zunino lol.
Who you giving up?
I think Yorke and Mata with a throw in like Dalbec, Downs or Walters would be our best offer. I think the A’s ask for Casas or Mayer and the phone gets hung up there.
That’s an offer that would easily get outbid by Tampa, Cleveland, or even the Yanks.
I like pitcher Gavin Williams in the Guardians system. Grade 70 Fastball, low ERA, pitched a lot of Innings, has stayed healthy and seem to have solid Control for being a power pitcher.
I hold out for him if Murphy is sent to Cleveland.
Boston is a good landing spot for Murph but I’m not sure that
A) Red Sox will pay the ransom or
B) they get outbid by a team like Tampa.
Boston won’t be able to outbid other teams for those two, they don’t have the chips like the Rays do.
The Royals are such a terribly run club, he’ll probably turn into the next JD Martinez in Oakland and they’ll use him for 4 years then trade him for a kings ransom. but that’s OK, because KC has OHearn!! dumb dumb dumb team
this is why the cardinal fans are remembered as once being some of the classiest fans in all of MLB. Now you’re a bunch of children that spew crap like that.
lol. yes, I’m the childish one insulting you…
I appreciate what people here are saying about Díaz. Under the radar player and makes Oakland better.
He made it to AAA as a 21 yr old and batted .340, if he was a Yankee prospect he would’ve been rated in the top 20.
Interesting to see him change hands again. I never really understood why he didn’t get a real look in San Diego last year when they needed power. Looks like he didn’t get much of one in KC either.
He’s crushed AAA pitching, seems like he deserves an extended shot at hitting in the majors.