March 28: Anderson went unclaimed on waivers and will start the year with the Athletics’ Triple-A affiliate, per an update from Ari Alexander.
March 25: Right-hander Nick Anderson has an upward mobility clause in his minor league deal with the Athletics and plans to trigger it tomorrow, reports Ari Alexander. The reliever signed with the club in early November.
The Athletics have not released their Opening Day roster, but based on this development, it would seem Anderson has failed to make the team. By triggering the clause, the veteran will be offered to every other team in the league. If any club is willing to give him a roster spot, the A’s will have to do the same, or work out a trade. If all 29 teams pass on Anderson, he can be sent to the minors.
The 35-year-old Anderson posted an unremarkable 4.35 ERA across 10 spring outings, but did punch out more than a batter per inning. He was competing for a bullpen spot with fellow non-roster invitees Wander Suero, Brooks Kriske, and Joel Kuhnel, among others. The Athletics added veterans Mark Leiter Jr. and Scott Barlow to a young bullpen this offseason.
Anderson scuffled to a 6.14 ERA in a dozen games with the Rockies last season. He also spent time in the minors with the Mariners and Cardinals. Anderson has pitched for five MLB squads since he debuted with the Marlins in 2019.
Just four months into his big-league career, the Rays acquired Anderson at the trade deadline for outfielder Jesus Sanchez and right-hander Ryne Stanek. Trevor Richards also came to Tampa Bay in the deal. Anderson emerged as a weapon on a Rays club that won 96 games. He posted a ridiculous 52.6% strikeout rate in 21 1/3 innings down the stretch. Anderson was just as good in the shortened 2020 season, delivering a microscopic 0.55 ERA with a 44.8% strikeout rate.
Injuries took a toll on Anderson beginning in the 2020 campaign. He missed time with forearm inflammation, a lower back strain, a torn UCL, and plantar fasciitis over the next three years. Anderson bounced between seven different organizations after leaving Tampa Bay in free agency following the 2022 season.
Photo courtesy of Kevin Jairaj, Imagn Images
he’s very utterly mobile you know! the other day I saw him dressed, just like the rich guy from Monopoly board game and he looks fetching with a monocle!
I was thinking more Scrooge McDuck, but I can see where you’re going with this.
He was so electric those two years but man he fell off after injuries.
Electric bugaloo
Just like Danny Coulombe.
Nick the Stick witb the up and out clause. What about Marcus Liberty?
Like the two wild and crazy guys, seems like Anderson thought he was a hotter commodity than he actually is.
No. Taking the AL champs, on the road, to the bottom of the 9th and extra innings is ok. They will be fine.
And Anderson will no doubt pitch for us this year. Maybe not well, but we will need him at some point.
Considering that they’re currently on pace to obliterate the all-time record for most strikeouts in a season by an offense, I’d say yes. Their bullpen is a disaster, their inability to develop pitching and their TTO offense of striking out looking, striking out swinging and striking out by ABS means it’s very much another lost season.