The Athletics entered this season with their first significant offseason expenditures in years under their belt. Since leaving Oakland, the club has not only extended Brent Rooker but also traded for Jeffrey Springs and signed both Luis Severino and Jose Leclerc to significant deals. Unfortunately, those moves haven’t helped the club get back into contention. Now the 46-63 A’s are one of the deadline’s most obvious sellers, and most of those offseason additions are going right back onto the market. Leclerc underwent shoulder surgery this month and won’t be a factor this trade season, but both Springs and Severino are known to be available, among other pieces.
While both Severino and Springs can be had in trade, it’s an open question as to whether or not either player will move. Both are in the midst of lackluster seasons, and Mitch Bannon of The Athletic reported recently that the A’s aren’t viewed by rival clubs as willing to retain a large portion of any contracts on their books if moved. Severino is set to make $25MM in 2026 with a $22MM player option for the 2027 season, while Springs will make $10.5MM next season with a $15MM club option for 2027.
Both of those contracts are clearly underwater given the hurlers’ respective performances. Severino has a lackluster 4.95 ERA (84 ERA+) in 22 starts this year, and while there are some positive signs like a more respectable 4.21 FIP and his solid road splits (3.03 ERA away from Sutter Health Park), a 16.7% strikeout rate is very concerning. Springs, meanwhile, has a solid enough 4.13 ERA (100 ERA+) that comes with very worrying peripherals. An 18.9% strikeout rate is quite low, and while some of his home run problems can be blamed on his home ballpark his home run rate isn’t far out of line with his career norms. Springs’s 4.70 FIP is a bottom-15 figure among pitchers with at least 100 innings of work this year, and his 4.55 SIERA (17th worst) is not much more impressive.
Perhaps there’s a team out there desperate enough for pitching help that they’d be willing to take on an underwater contract in order to avoid parting with prospect capital, but such a situation seems unlikely. Of the two starters, Springs seems more likely to move given his previous experience as a reliever, better on-paper results, and much less onerous contract. If Severino is to be dealt without the A’s parting with salary, he’d likely need to be attached to another player and even then would likely bring back a minimal return.
Expensive pitchers aren’t the club’s only trade chips, however. Francys Romero of BeisbolFR.com reported earlier today that Miguel Andujar is drawing interest from multiple teams this summer. A pending free agent, Andujar has primarily split time between third base and left field this year. He’s a fairly reliable bet to offer league-average production at the plate, as his .296/.323/.395 (96 wRC+) slash line this year isn’t all that different from his .276/.308/.428 (101 wRC+) career slash line or the .282/.318/.398 (101 wRC+) slash line he’s posted across 163 games since the start of the 2023 season.
It seems unlikely that Andujar would bring back an especially significant return given his league average offense and rough defensive metrics (-7 Outs Above Average this season). Even so, he could be a useful bench bat or depth piece for a team in need of help at any of the infield or outfield corners given his experience at all four positions, though his lackluster defense means he likely profiles best as a DH. The Cubs, Brewers, Reds, Rangers, and Royals are among the many teams who could use a right-handed hitter who could pitch in at one or more of the corner positions.
Idk if springs is an underwater contract
It is not an under-water spring, but rather an intensively-developed aquifer
Playing in that park does not help any pitching signing
Agree, for that reason I think they should keep Severino unless a team is willing to absorb most of that salary, which is unlikely
He’s not going anywhere.
Oh yeah, after what Severino said, Goodluck signing any FA pitching.
Unless Severino lives in a cave in the off-season he knew he would be playing in a minor league stadium when he signed there. Every player that signs with the A’s for the next couple of years know what they are in for and it’s not exactly like they had 5 star accommodations when they played in Oakland either
It might not have been a 5=star accomodation but players would rather play at the Coliseum with an owner who was willing to improve the facility than a minor league stadium for 3-4 years
They need to move the fences or make them higher
Yeah Sevvy is most likely staying put
Everyone but the A’s knew Severino wasn’t going to be as good as he was last season.
I thought they signed him as a trade chip, just based on how they operate. His era isnt pretty this year but I’m sure someone would take a flier on him for the back of the rotation, though his salary is a turn off
They would have signed him as a trade chip if it was a 1 year deal
The As signed him because they needed to spend money to avoid a grievance. He was willing to take it.
… And Severino knew – his agent too – that they were not going to play in a big fancy MLB stadium. They knew that for sure… But Severino wanted to get paid and that they/he did…
Tigers should be in on Springs. A mid level lefty for the rotation. Maybe pick up Bleday as well. For a couple mid level prospects.
Go for a big power bat and grab Soderstrom with Springs. He can play some OF, 1B, DH and Catcher. Oakland needs pitching and the Tigers have guys like Hamm and Melton who are close and could form part of a package.
And there’s no reason to trade soderstrom unless they are convinced he cant fit defensively or they get an overwhelming return. Currently melton and hamm are the tigers 2 best pitching prospects and are ranked #6 and #10 in tigers farm system on mlb pipeline. A’s would definitely require a top 100 prospect as centerpiece
I only mentioned Soderstrom because there was a previous article that listed him as a hypothetical trade candidate. I brought those two names up because Oakland needs pitching but like you say I would expect them to want more in that package. The A’s could be an interesting team the next few years if they get more pitching. They have some great young hitters!
I would gladly take Anjujar as a righty bench piece. He shouldn’t cost much. Any team looking for such can probably get the deal done.
Springs isn’t that expensive. I’d bet he gets moved with all the teams needing pitching this (and next) year.
F-U JOHN FISHER
The A’s spending this off season was ridiculous. It was as if they were trying to show they are not “cheap” and gave insane contracts to average/below average players. What did they think was going to happen?
They likely had to pay those ridiculous prices to get players to play for that franchise in that park.
Agreed
They had to spend big last offseason to get above the revenue sharing apron. And when I say ‘big’ I’m talking A’s big, not any other team.
Their hands were forced to spend above a $105M payroll. Otherwise, the MLBPA was potentially going to file a grievance. A’s didn’t want to lose their future revenue-sharing money and face additional penalties. They needed to overpay free agents to play in Sacramento.
It was a great model for what MLB would look like with a salary floor.
There’s not going to be a salary cap w/o a salary floor and/or more comprehensive revenue sharing.
Let’s stop making plans and start making trades!
Mariners can use Andujar for sure… lets go… Castro and Andujar and a Bullpen ARM Please JERRY
Jerry just talked to the Seattle times today and he really wants a bullpen arm right now so I think he will get something
I doubt we increase our position player depth because we already have good depth for the outfield with Robles coming back soon
The biggest wrenches in this years’ deadline is more fascinating than the actual deadline:
-Devers got traded in May
-Clase got suspended
-Suarez is hurt
-The Yankees are out because Judge is hurt
You can’t sell me Shane Bieber looking okay against 11 A-Ball hitters on a rehab assignment. I’m not buying.
*Devers got traded in June
Judge isnt going to be out that long the Yankees should be able to survive it
Especially since Cody Bellinger is hitting like 2019 again for the past month or 2
A’s need some impact young pitching as badly as the Pirates need hitting.
Trade Soderstrom/Gelof, the most expendable of the hitting core, for one of their upper minors pitchers.
The A’s have upper level pitching morales, Barnett is on AAA, jump in AA, just drafted Arnold. Perkins, ginn is doing well fairly well at mlb level. There’s a trio of Asian pitchers in AA. How they progress will be important but yes they need an influx of more pitching.
Until Bolte lights it up at the MLB level, Soderstrom isn’t going anywhere
Bolte and Thomas both have strikeout hit tool issues but talented. If either can somehow improve those issues then they are clearly everyday starting outfielders.
It’s nice to see the Henry Bolte talk. He’s a neighborhood kid.
Please do not trade away any pitchers
Stockpile all the arms possible
The starting 9 are in good shape
Combining the current arms with those recovering from injury plus those in AAA/AA ought to create a serviceable staff in 2026
I doubt severino gets moved. If he improves his production the second half, maybe they can trade him in the offseason, but trading him now with no value seems too reactionary.
Their actual trade pieces that have some level of value and that I think they’d be winning to trade would be Andujar, Urias, Newcomb, Sears, and Springs.
Keep the core, keep the bad contracts for now, wait for their upper minors pitching to develop and go from there. There’s the makings of an average rotation with Ginn, Perkins, Lopez, Barnett, Jump, Morales, Arnold
If there’s a bullpen arm or solid bat available in Sacramento, I wouldn’t be upset if the Mets ate some of Sevy’s contract to lower the prospect price. Not like we couldn’t use depth for the rotation the way this year has gone.
Not shocking at all that the A’s were going to dump salary after their “uncharacteristic” splurge this past off season.