The Rangers announced that they have claimed catcher Willie MacIver and right-hander Michel Otañez from the Athletics. Additionally, Texas has outrighted outfielders Dustin Harris and Billy McKinney. Both outfielders have elected free agency.
There wasn’t any previous indication that the A’s had put anyone on waivers or designated anyone for assignment. However, roster maintenance is common at this time of year. The 60-day injured list goes away five days after the World Series, which can often lead to roster crunches.
MacIver, 29, is a longtime depth catcher who just made his major league debut. He was initially drafted by the Rockies back in 2018 and finally got to the show with the A’s in 2025. He got into 33 games and slashed .186/.252/.324. His Triple-A work this year was much better, as he put up an eye-popping line of .362/.426/.541. That took place in the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League and was aided by a .428 batting average on balls in play, but it was nonetheless enough to intrigue the Rangers.
Texas has Jonah Heim and Kyle Higashioka on the roster. MacIver is the clear #3 catcher on the roster for now. He still has options and can be kept in Triple-A as depth, though his path to big league playing time could open up if the Rangers decide to shake things up with a trade. For the A’s, they still have Shea Langeliers as their primary backstop. Austin Wynns is also on the roster for now but he’s a non-tender candidate, so perhaps they will look to add more depth this winter.
Otañez, 28, has been on the Athletics’ 40-man since the summer of 2024. He has thrown 39 1/3 big league innings with a 4.81 earned run average. His 34.1% strikeout rate is impressive but he’s also walked 14% of batters faced. He has also tossed 55 minor league innings since the start of 2024 with a 6.05 ERA, 31.8% strikeout rate and 16.5% walk rate. The righty has powerful stuff, averaging in the upper 90s with his fastball, but clear control issues. He is still optionable, so the Rangers could keep him in the minors as they try to help him harness his arsenal.
Harris, 26, was once a notable prospect but his stock has faded in recent years. Dating back to the start of 2022, he has taken almost 2,000 minor league plate appearances with a .268/.364/.428 line and 103 wRC+. He has also stepped to the plate 50 times in the majors with a .217/.280/.435 line. He exhausted his final option season in 2025. The Rangers outrighted him to the minors in August but re-selected him later. Since this is his second career outright, he has the right to elect free agency.
McKinney, 31, is somewhat similar. He is also a former prospect who hasn’t delivered much on the hype. He has received almost 1,000 big league plate appearances but has produced a .209/.283/.382 line and 79 wRC+. He was added to the Texas roster late in the year as they were playing out the string. He has the right to elect free agency both due to having a previous career outright and three years of big league service time.
Photo courtesy of William Liang, Imagn Images
Three 20 something year old pitchers have changed teams in the last 15 minutes and the Cardinals didn’t get any of them. Call it dumpster diving if you will, but the Cards need to be hitting those dumpsters HARD.
I don’t know if we’re too proud or too cheap to make these kinds of moves, but we can’t wait until we finally trade Arenado to start the offseason. That’s what Mo did last year and came up empty handed. Hire all the middle management you want, but players matter. Find a way to get some interesting arms into the system.
You’re right they could’ve claimed Otañez before the Rangers but the Orioles had earlier priority than the Cards did and the Mariners traded cash considerations to the Rays.
Cards could’ve done that too but just saying it’s not as easy as submitting a claim.
This rebuild isn’t going to be easy. It’s going to require utilizing every available avenue to bring in talent. Trading our veterans isn’t going to bring much if anything. The payroll has been whittled down and should drop even further by opening day. We can afford to start taking some flyers.
Better ways to use 40 man slots than these bums.
Maciver is a high energy player that fans love, good catching depth, but nothing more. Struggled both offensively and defensively. Otanez strikes guys out. When he’s not walking guys he can be effective, but he’s usually walking guys.
Cash strapped. Only money they can spend is money they can get rid of
Oddly, Billy McKinney was the A’s first round draft pick in 2013.
looks like athletics are planning for susac to make the roster this year
Harris looked rock solid in his first action last year. He was having very competitive at bats and showing up in clutch moments. I hope he gets another opportunity.