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A’s Sign Drew Steckenrider To Minor League Deal

By Steve Adams | February 15, 2023 at 10:38am CDT

Right-handed reliever Drew Steckenrider is in camp with the Athletics as a non-roster invitee to spring training, tweets Matt Kawahara of the San Francisco Chronicle. Athletics Farm first tweeted the news a couple days ago.

Steckenrider, 32, has spent the past two seasons with the Mariners, thriving as a key member of the bullpen in 2021 but struggling in 2022 to the extent that he was outrighted from the team’s 40-man roster. The 2021 campaign saw Steckenrider pitch to a pristine 2.00 ERA, albeit with below-average strikeout, swinging-strike and ground-ball rates of 21.7%, 8.6% and 37.4%, respectively. He offset some of those flaws with a sharp 6.4% walk rate, but Steckenrider also benefited from a .257 average on balls in play and a tiny 6.6% homer-to-flyball rate — both well south of his career marks. Add in an alarming opponents’ average exit velocity of 90.7 mph, and some regression looked inevitable.

However, the magnitude of that regression nevertheless was still rather surprising. Steckenrider was rocked for nine runs on 21 hits and five walks in just 14 1/3 innings at the big league level. The resulting 5.65 ERA led the Mariners to option Steckenrider in late May and, perhaps more surprisingly, designate him for assignment the following month when the team needed a 40-man roster spot. Steckenrider’s $3.1MM salary understandably passed through waivers unclaimed, but the Mariners never game him another look down the stretch, thanks in part to a deep and talented relief corps that posted a combined 3.16 ERA in the season’s second half.

Had Steckenrider returned to form in Triple-A, perhaps he might’ve still garnered another look back in the big leagues. However, the veteran righty yielded a tepid 4.62 ERA in 25 1/3 frames. Even if one wanted to chalk some of that up to the excessively hitter-friendly nature of the Pacific Coast League, Steckenrider posted an uncharacteristic 13.8% walk rate in his time at Tacoma, which couldn’t have inspired much confidence that he’d rebound with a return to the big leagues.

Rocky as last season was, Steckenrider comes to the A’s as a 32-year-old with a career 3.27 ERA in 195 2/3 innings at the big league level. His strikeout rate has consistently declined from his early days with the Marlins — he punched out a gaudy 35.8% of opponents in 34 2/3 innings as a rookie — but his command has also steadily improved.

Oakland’s bullpen is teeming with uncertainty, giving Steckenrider ample opportunity to seize a spot. Trevor May, signed to a one-year $7MM contract, is a lock for late-inning work, and the out-of-options Domingo Acevedo is all but assured a spot as well. Beyond that pairing, there’s any number of ways the A’s could proceed. Each of Zach Jackson, Dany Jimenez and Sam Moll could have an inside track based on their 2022 ERAs, but each also posted a bloated walk rate that points to regression — and all three have minor league options remaining, as well.

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Athletics Transactions Drew Steckenrider

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View Comments (11)
Post a Comment

11 Comments

  1. Fonzie13

    3 years ago

    If they get 20-21 Drew then he will make for a nice trade chip.

    2
    Reply
    • Buzz Saw

      3 years ago

      Still wondering when they signed May for 7 million

      1
      Reply
    • Buzz Saw

      3 years ago

      Still wondering why
      they signed May for 7 million

      Reply
      • case

        3 years ago

        Because ownership is on probation for pocketing revenue sharing funds. According to another MLBTR article the other owners were actually annoyed that we even got back into revenue sharing as part of the new union agreement, so I’m assuming we’ll be closely scrutinized for a while.

        1
        Reply
  2. The Big Yo

    3 years ago

    Lads n lassies do not sleep on the A’s. I genuinely think they were the most productive off season team for what they have to work with financially. They try to stay in the game and they’re gonna be a very good small team this season and Beyond

    2
    Reply
    • The Big Yo

      3 years ago

      *small BALL

      Reply
    • case

      3 years ago

      Their construction of a “jury rigged” pitching staff and bullpen reminds me of past successful years… but I just don’t see the offense doing enough to make us competitive. It could happen, but we would need like 3 rookie of the year candidates.

      1
      Reply
  3. The Big Yo

    3 years ago

    Also these rule changes are gonna be interesting and it looks like the A’s are preparing for them. Speed and lefties

    2
    Reply
  4. PaulyMidwest

    3 years ago

    Good pickup

    1
    Reply
  5. BenBenBen

    3 years ago

    It’s not “rocky as last season was,” it’s “AS rocky as last season was.” Is proper grammar too much to ask?

    Reply
  6. bravesfan

    3 years ago

    Good for him! Played with him growing up, glad to see this!

    Reply

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