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The Top Unsigned Catchers

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Pitchers and catchers will be reporting to Spring Training in about three weeks but a slow offseason means there are still plenty of free agents out there. MLBTR already took a look at the center fielders still available and will now take a look at some notable catchers.

  • Gary Sánchez: Sánchez has always had big power in his bat, having launched 173 home runs already in his career. But he’s often paired that with low batting average/on-base numbers, strikeouts and questionable defense. He wasn’t able to secure a major league deal last offseason, signing a minor league pact with the Giants and then opting out and signing another with the Mets. The latter club added him to their roster but quickly put him on waivers, with the Padres putting in a claim. From there, he went on to have a terrific season. He hit 19 home runs in just 75 games, keeping his strikeouts to a palatable 25.1% clip before a wrist fracture ended his season in September. His glovework has also improved lately, relative to earlier in his career. His joining the Padres coincided with Blake Snell completely turning his season around and eventually winning a second Cy Young. Snell spoke positively of his relationship with Sánchez during the year, as relayed by Dennis Lin of The Athletic, perhaps suggesting his game-calling could be viewed as a plus. There are warts on his profile but he’s clearly a strong player and should be able to find a better deal than he did a year ago. He’s going into his age-31 season.
  • Yasmani Grandal: Grandal has long been a strong backstop on both sides of the ball, but he has tapered off lately. He hit .240/.355/.451 from 2012 to 2021, combining power with a keen eye at the plate, but that batting line has dropped to .219/.305/.306 over the past two seasons. He’s still a strong framer and was good against lefty pitchers as recently as 2022. The switch-hitter slashed .257/.409/.365 against southpaws that year but just .186/.265/.241 against righties, though that split evened out last year. Now 35 years old, he may not be able to get a job as a club’s primary catcher, but his defense, framing and switch-hitting ability should make him a fit somewhere.
  • Curt Casali: Casali has never been more than a part-time player, but he’s been a solid one. He’s appeared in each of the past 10 MLB seasons, though never in more than 84 games in any individual campaign. He has popped 47 home runs in 1,454 plate appearances while walking at a 10.7% rate, leading to a .220/.314/.380 batting line. His 89 wRC+ is below average overall but pretty close to par for a catcher. He’s generally considered a capable defender as well. He’s coming off a disappointing season wherein he hit poorly in 40 games for the Reds before landing on the injured list in July due to a foot contusion and not returning. He’s now going into his age-35 season.
  • Manny Piña: Similar to Casali, Piña has long been a serviceable part-time catcher. He has appeared in 10 MLB seasons, only twice playing more than 76 games. He’s hit 43 home runs in his 1,255 plate appearances and slashed .243/.312/.410 for a wRC+ of 91. He’s only played nine big league games over the past two years, primarily due to wrist issues. He underwent surgery in May of 2022 while with Atlanta, then was flipped to the A’s going into 2023 as part of the Sean Murphy deal. The wrist issues lingered into last year and he was released in August. He’s now going into his age-37 season.
  • Mike Zunino: As recently as 2021, Zunino showed off his huge power at the plate, launching 33 home runs for the Rays. But the year after, he required thoracic outlet surgery and wasn’t able to bounce back. The Guardians gave him a one-year, $6MM deal for 2023 but he was nowhere near his previous self. Strikeouts have always been a problem for him even when he was at his best, as evidenced by his career rate of 35.1%. However, that rate was all the way up to 43.6% last year as he hit just .177/.271/.306. Zunino was released in June and didn’t sign with anyone else after that. His defense is considered strong, so he could be a useful player if his offense improved with a bit more remove from his surgery. He’ll be 33 in March.

Athletics Designate Ramon Laureano, Release Manny Pina

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The Athletics announced a series of moves, including the news that outfielder Ramon Laureano has been designated for assignment.  As for two other players recently DFA’ed by Oakland, catcher Manny Pina was released and utilityman Tyler Wade was outrighted to Triple-A.  The moves create roster space for some injured list activations, as Esteury Ruiz is back from the 10-day IL and Dany Jimenez was activated from the 60-day IL.  Kevin Smith was also reinstated from the 10-day IL and optioned to Triple-A, while the A’s also optioned right-hander Tayler Scott to Triple-A.

Laureano has been on the injured list twice this season, missing about six total weeks due to a groin strain and a fractured hand suffered while sliding into a base.  This has continued a pattern of injuries that have plagued Laureano over the last few years, to say nothing of the 80-game PED suspension that cost him portions of the 2021 and 2022 seasons.  Since returning to action in 2022, Laureano has hit only .212/.285/.371 over 629 plate appearances.

It stands to reason that if it wasn’t for the health concerns and the lack of production, Laureano would have joined the many other notables traded during Oakland’s fire sale.  Laureano is still controlled through the 2025 season, making him an interesting possibility for a team looking for outfield help — he could draw a waiver claim from a contender looking to add depth, or a non-contender just looking to add a controllable asset.  The fact that the A’s didn’t move him before the deadline for at least a token return might speak to a general lack of trade interest, or an interested team might not have wanted to give anything up in a deal, betting that Laureano might come available on the DFA wire.

Ruiz missed about a month due to a right shoulder subluxation, so a month-long absence ended up being a welcome scenario given the potential seriousness of such a shoulder problem.  He’ll return to his customary spot in center field and continue a rookie season that has seen Ruiz hit .257/.310/.329 over 369 PA.  Even despite missing a month, Ruiz is still the AL leader in stolen bases with 43, and Ronald Acuna Jr. (51) is the only player in baseball with more swipes than the speedy Ruiz.

Jimenez hasn’t pitched since April 16 due to a right shoulder strain, so he has only 6 2/3 innings (and a 5.40 ERA) on his ledger for the 2023 campaign.  Shoulder problems also interrupted Jimenez’s rookie season, though he managed a 3.41 ERA over 34 1/3 innings for the Athletics last year and entered the spring as a contender for the closer role.  While the A’s probably won’t immediately insert Jimenez into the highest of high-leverage situations, there’s plenty of time left in the season for Jimenez to post some good results and get himself into the rebuilding team’s plans for 2024.

This is the third time Wade has been DFA’ed, cleared waivers, and outrighted off of the Athletics’ 40-man roster.  He again has the right to reject the outright assignment and become a free agent, though it stands to reason that he might again opt to remain with the A’s and await another opportunity.

Pina’s first season with the A’s has seen him play in only four games, as he has again battled wrist injuries for the second consecutive year.  All told, Pina has suited up in only nine MLB games since the start of the 2022 season, with these injuries coming on the heels of a six-year as a part-time catcher with the Brewers.  The Athletics acquired Pina last winter from the Braves as part of the Sean Murphy deal, and the A’s are still responsible for the roughly $1.5MM remaining on Pina’s contract for 2023.  If Pina does sign elsewhere, his new team will only owe him a prorated MLB minimum salary for any time he spends on an active roster, with that salary subtracted from the Athletics’ $1.5MM tab.

A’s Designate Manny Pina For Assignment

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The A’s announced they’ve designated catcher Manny Piña for assignment in lieu of reinstating him from the 10-day injured list. Oakland selected the contract of infielder Tyler Wade with the vacated 40-man roster spot, optioning Kirby Snead in a corresponding move.

Piña came over from the Braves as a salary offset in the offseason Sean Murphy deal. Oakland agreed to take on Piña’s $4.5MM salary while hopefully breaking him as a veteran backup to Shea Langeliers. Unfortunately, the left wrist issues that cost Piña all but five games last season resurfaced. He lost the first couple months of this year, returned to appear in four games, then went back on the shelf.

The 36-year-old is apparently again healthy. Oakland since promoted top catching prospect Tyler Soderstrom to split time with Langeliers. With the A’s fully turned towards a youth movement, they no longer have space on the active roster for Piña.

He’ll quite likely be released in the next couple days. He’ll go unclaimed, leaving the A’s on the hook for the roughly $1.5MM still to be paid out. At that point, he could look for other opportunities in free agency.

Wade has shuffled on and off the Oakland roster a few times this season. The left-handed hitter carries a .255/.309/.314 line in 55 big league plate appearances. He’s hitting .251/.356/.318 at Triple-A Las Vegas.

Athletics Outright Tyler Wade

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The Athletics announced a number of roster moves today, including the previously reported promotions of prospects Tyler Soderstrom and Zack Gelof, as well as the recall of right-hander Freddy Tarnok. In corresponding moves, they placed left-hander Richard Lovelady on the 15-day injured list and catcher Manny Piña on the 10-day injured list, as well as outrighting infielder/outfielder Tyler Wade. The club already had one vacancy on its 40-man roster and the outright of Wade creates a second, making room for both Soderstrom and Gelof.

Wade, 28, signed a minor league deal with the A’s in the offseason and has twice now been selected for brief stints with the big league club before being outrighted. He was with the A’s for about two weeks in April, in addition to joining the club for the past four weeks or so. He’s managed to get into 26 games this year and take 55 trips to the plate, hitting .255/.309/.314 in those for a wRC+ of 81.

He’s never been able to hit much at the big league level, as shown by his career batting line of .217/.293/.300 in 709 plate appearances. His best attribute is his versatility, as he’s lined up at all three outfield spots in his career and the three infield positions to the left of first base. He also brings a speed element, having stolen 42 bases in his career, including succeeding in all four of his attempts this year.

Wade was once an intriguing prospect while with the Yankees but his lack of offensive output has limited him to bench/utility roles thus far. This is the second time this year he’s passed through waivers unclaimed. Players with previous career outrights or more than three years of major league service time have the right to reject an outright assignment in favor of electing free agency. Wade qualifies on both counts though he accepted an outright assignment to Las Vegas earlier this year.

Athletics Designate Chad Smith For Assignment

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The Athletics announced a series of roster moves today, reinstating catcher Manny Piña from the 60-day injured list and recalling infielder Nick Allen. To open active roster spots for those two, outfielder Conner Capel was optioned to Triple-A and catcher Carlos Pérez was placed on the 10-day injured list. Perez has a fractured left thumb, per Martín Gallegos of MLB.com. To open a 40-man roster spot for Piña, right-hander Chad Smith was designated for assignment.

Piña, 36, was acquired from Atlanta in the Sean Murphy trade, partially to offset some salary but also to serve as a veteran backup to Shea Langeliers. Unfortunately, Piña hasn’t been able to make his debut with the club until today. He began the season on the injured list due to inflammation in his left wrist, the same wrist that required surgery in 2022 and wiped out almost his whole season. Fortunately, it won’t be quite as dire this year and he can now finally take his spot on the roster.

For his career, he’s hit .243/.313/.409 for a wRC+ of 90. He’s generally been considered a strong defender and pitch framer, having tallied 37 Defensive Runs Saved in his career. Statcast gives him strong marks both for his work with the running game and blocking pitches. The A’s have a $4MM club option over his services for 2024 with no buyout.

While he’s been out of action, the club has turned to Pérez as the backup. His defense isn’t as highly regarded as Piña’s but he’s hit .232/.293/.384 for a wRC+ of 91, not too shabby for a backup catcher. Unfortunately, he’ll now have to head to the injured list. The club hasn’t provided any kind of timeline but he’s likely going to be out longer than the minimum if he has a fracture.

Amid all these moves, Smith has been nudged off the club’s 40-man roster. Now 28, he made his major league debut with the Rockies last year, tossing 18 innings with a 7.50 ERA. He walked 17.6% of batters faced but also struck them out at a 27.1% clip and got grounders at a 55.6% rate. The A’s took a shot on perhaps getting better results with some improved command, acquiring Smith from the Rockies this winter.

Here in 2023, he’s served as an up-and-down reliever, being shuttled between Triple-A and the big league club. In 12 major league innings, he has a 6.75 ERA. He lowered his walk rate to 11.3% but his strikeout rate also fell to 17%. The results in Triple-A haven’t been especially impressive either, as he has a 9.61 ERA in 19 2/3 frames at that level. His 24.3% strikeout rate there is encouraging, but the 18.7% walk rate is obviously a problem.

The A’s will now have one week to try to trade him or pass him through waivers. The results are all over the place but he’s shown strikeout stuff at times and still has a couple of options. Any club that thinks they can fix Smith could potentially stash him in the minors for the rest of this year and another season as well.

A’s Announce Series Of Roster Moves

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The A’s made a number of transactions before tonight’s series opener with the White Sox. Oakland activated reliever Kirby Snead from the 60-day injured list while recalling Rico Garcia and Jordan Diaz from Triple-A Las Vegas.

Right-handers James Kaprielian and Yacksel Ríos are headed to the 15-day IL, while infielder Jonah Bride was optioned to Vegas. To clear space on the 40-man roster for Snead’s return, the A’s transferred Mason Miller from the 15-day to the 60-day IL.

Snead is back in Mark Kotsay’s bullpen for the first time this year. He strained his throwing shoulder in Spring Training. One of four players acquired from the Blue Jays in the Matt Chapman deal, Snead tossed 44 2/3 innings of 5.84 ERA ball during his first season in Oakland. He has allowed four runs in five innings in Triple-A on a rehab stint.

Kaprielian has a shoulder strain of his own, Kotsay told reporters (including Martín Gallegos of MLB.com). Ríos is battling Raynaud’s syndrome, a condition in which blood flow to a person’s hand can be diminished, thereby leading to numbness. The return timetable on both pitchers is unclear.

Miller has already missed just under two months with a sprain of the UCL in his throwing elbow. That makes his transfer a formality, though his long-term prognosis is still up in the air. Kotsay said Miller will soon go for follow-up examination (via Gallegos). The hard-throwing rookie has been throwing off flat ground for a few weeks and will continue his throwing program pending that evaluation.

In other injury news, catcher Manny Piña has reported to Low-A Stockton for a rehab stint, according to his transaction log at MLB.com. Acquired from the Braves to offset salary in the Sean Murphy deal, Piña has missed the entire season with a left wrist issue. He underwent surgery on the same wrist last May and hasn’t played an MLB game in 14 months.

Upcoming Club Option Decisions: AL West

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Last week, MLBTR took an early look at offseason option decisions facing teams in the National League. We’re continuing our division by division series moving through the Junior Circuit. To round out the series, we move to the AL West. There are only five players in the division whose contracts contain options but they’re spread among every team aside from the Mariners.

Previous posts: NL East, NL Central, NL West, AL East, AL Central

Houston Astros

  • Hector Neris: $8.5MM club option ($1MM buyout); converts to player option with 40 appearances in 2023

Neris’ option is presently a club provision, but it’s not likely to be for much longer. His free agent deal with the Astros allowed him to convert the third-year option into a player provision in a few ways — one of which was by making a combined 110 appearances between 2022-23. The bullpen workhorse pitched 70 times last year, leaving him just 40 shy of the mark entering 2023. (As is common for provisions like these, he’ll also have to pass a physical at season’s end.)

Manager Dusty Baker has already called upon Neris 25 times this season. He needs just 15 more outings to turn this into a player provision. That’s a lock barring a major injury, with Neris potentially triggering the mark by the All-Star Break.

That could prove lucrative, as he’s building a strong case for another multi-year free agent deal. Neris carries a 1.13 ERA over 24 frames. While he’s obviously not going to keep preventing runs at quite that pace, he’s fanning over 31% of opponents and picking up swinging strikes on a huge 15.4% of his offerings. Even nearing age 34, Neris could push for a two-year deal in the $15-20MM range, where the likes of Joe Kelly and Chris Martin have landed in recent seasons.

Los Angeles Angels

The Halos signed Loup to a two-year, $17MM free agent deal over the 2021-22 offseason. He was effective enough in year one, though the Angels probably expected better than a 3.84 ERA with a 20% strikeout rate over 58 2/3 innings. That’d be a marked improvement over Loup’s early results this year, however. The 35-year-old has allowed 12 runs (10 earned) with 11 strikeouts and six walks over 13 1/3 frames. Los Angeles looks likely to take the buyout.

Oakland A’s

Oakland took a low-cost flier on Rucinski last winter. They signed him to a $3MM guarantee with a promised rotation spot after he’d been an effective starter in South Korea for four seasons. The 34-year-old righty hasn’t had a chance to get on track. He began the year on the injured list with a hamstring strain. He returned to make four starts and was tagged for 22 runs with a ghastly 6:14 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 18 innings. Rucinski went back on the IL a few weeks ago with an illness. It’s been a disastrous first couple months and the option is trending towards a declination.

The A’s acquired Piña as a veteran complement to Shea Langeliers in the Sean Murphy trade. He’d been limited to five games last year thanks to a left wrist injury that required surgery. Complications with the wrist flared up in Spring Training and he’s spent this season on the IL as well. The A’s are likely to cut him loose at year’s end.

Texas Rangers

At his best, Leclerc looks like a quality high-leverage reliever. He misses tons of bats and routinely pushes or exceeds a 30% strikeout rate. Yet he’s paired those whiffs with plenty of free passes. Control has become especially problematic this year, as he’s dished out walks to almost 16% of opponents. Leclerc is carrying a sub-3.00 ERA but benefitting from a .256 average on balls in play.

Leclerc started slowly last season after working back from Tommy John surgery. He caught fire down the stretch, leading Texas to exercise a $6MM option for 2023. There’s still time for him to repeat that pattern but he’ll have to dial in the strike-throwing to do so.

Athletics Select Zach Neal, Place Mason Miller On IL With Forearm Tightness

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4:10pm: The A’s announced Neal’s selection, along with the recall of right-hander Luis Medina. In corresponding moves, righty Rico Garcia was optioned to Triple-A Las Vegas while righty Mason Miller was placed on the 15-day injured list. Catcher Manny Piña was transferred to the 60-day injured list to make room on the 40-man for Neal. Matt Kawahara of the San Francisco Chronicle relays that Miller’s IL placement is due to right forearm tightness. Pina has been on the IL all year due to a lingering wrist issue and was recently pulled off his rehab after suffering a setback. He won’t be eligible to return until 60 days from the initial IL placement, which would be late May.

10:04am: The A’s are set to select the contract of righty Zach Neal prior to tonight’s game, reports Martin Gallegos of MLB.com (Twitter link). He’s expected to make a spot start tonight against Nathan Eovaldi and the Rangers. Neal inked a minor league deal with the Athletics last month.

It’ll be the second stint with Oakland for Neal, who also pitched there in 2016-17, logging a combined 4.89 ERA in 30 appearances (six starts). That accounts for the vast majority of Neal’s big league experience, though he also tossed one inning for the Dodgers in 2018. Overall, he carries a 4.94 ERA, 10.5% strikeout rate and 2% walk rate in 85 2/3 innings at the MLB level.

Now 34 years old, Neal hasn’t pitched in the Majors since that one-off  appearance with the ’18 Dodgers. He spent the 2019-21 seasons with the Seibu Lions of Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball, working to a combined 4.49 ERA with a 12.4% strikeout rate against a 5.6% walk rate. Neal logged a 2.87 ERA in 100 1/3 innings in his first year with the Lions but was north of 5.00 in his second and third seasons in Japan.

Neal spent the 2022 season with the Rockies’ Triple-A affiliate but was tagged for a 6.87 ERA in that hitter-friendly setting. He’s opened the 2023 campaign with similarly shaky results in another hitter-friendly setting, Las Vegas, allowing seven runs on eight hits and five walks with 11 punchouts in 11 1/3 innings (5.56 ERA).

The A’s have a full 40-man roster, so they’ll need to make a corresponding transaction to get Neal onto the roster. They’ve already turned over nearly their entire bullpen since the season began and could make yet another move there to accommodate Neal’s addition. Righty Zach Jackson and lefty Sam Moll are the only two members of Oakland’s Opening Day relief corps who are still currently in the bullpen.

Injury Notes: Blackburn, Pina, Morejon, Garcia, Szapucki

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The A’s will open the season with both starter Paul Blackburn and catcher Manny Piña on the injured list, manager Mark Kotsay told reporters this afternoon (link via Matt Kawahara of the San Francisco Chronicle). Blackburn still can’t throw at full strength after ripping the nail on his middle finger a couple weeks ago. Piña, meanwhile, was diagnosed with left wrist inflammation after meeting with a specialist yesterday. His wrist is currently in a brace and there’s no timetable for his return to baseball activity.

Neither development comes as a surprise. Kotsay said a few days ago both players were questionable for Opening Day. Blackburn’s absence doesn’t figure to be a long-term concern but will require an adjustment to the starting five. Blackburn would have been assured of an Opening Day rotation spot, joining Drew Rucinski and Shintaro Fujinami in that regard. James Kaprielian seems as if he’ll join them, as Kotsay indicated today the righty is on track to be ready for the season after offseason shoulder surgery. The A’s will need to make a move at catcher in the next two weeks, as Shea Langeliers is the only healthy backstop on the 40-man roster.

More injury updates around the game:

  • Padres southpaw Adrián Morejón went for an MRI after departing a weekend Spring Training game with elbow discomfort. Manager Bob Melvin provided a generally positive update this afternoon, telling the media that Morejón’s MRI came back clean of structural damage (video provided by 97.3 FM The Fan). Imaging did reveal some inflammation in the joint and the young hurler will be shut down from throwing until symptoms subside. That could be within a matter of days, according to Melvin. While Morejón may still need to open the season on the 15-day injured list, that there’s no structural damage warrants a sigh of relief considering his injury history. He lost most of 2021 and the first half of last season rehabbing from Tommy John surgery. The Friars used Morejón exclusively out of the bullpen last year. They’ve floated the possibility of moving him back to the rotation at some point, though it remains to be seen if his latest elbow discomfort will affect the club’s usage plan.
  • The Pirates announced last week that reliever Jarlín García was being shut down after experiencing some discomfort in his throwing arm. Director of sports medicine Todd Tomczyk provided an update yesterday, telling reporters the southpaw has a nerve injury in the biceps area (via Justice delos Santos of MLB.com). He’ll remain shut down from throwing for at least four to five weeks before going for more testing late next month. It’s clear García is in for an extended absence to start the season, as even a best-case scenario in which he can start throwing again in mid-April will require a ramp-up period lasting into May. It wouldn’t be a surprise to see Pittsburgh place him on the 60-day injured list at some point. García signed a $2.5MM free agent deal over the winter after being non-tendered by the Giants despite a 3.74 ERA in 65 innings last season.
  • Giants reliever Thomas Szapucki will meet with a thoracic outlet syndrome specialist next week, tweets Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle. He’d been sidelined of late by discomfort in his elbow area and there’s evidently some concern it’s related to the condition. Thoracic outlet syndrome has become a fairly prevalent issue for pitchers in recent years, typically requiring a surgical procedure that involves the removal of a rib to reduce nerve pressure in the arm. The track record for players returning from that issue is mixed. While players like Merrill Kelly have come back better than ever, the likes of Stephen Strasburg and Matt Harvey have never regained their pre-surgery form.

Manny Pina Visiting Wrist Specialist

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Earlier this week, the Athletics announced that veteran catcher Manny Piña was uncertain for Opening Day after experiencing discomfort in his left wrist. It was an alarming development considering Piña lost almost all of last season after suffering ligament and cartilage damage in the joint that required surgery.

This afternoon, Oakland informed reporters that Piña was headed for evaluation with the specialist who performed last May’s procedure (relayed by Matt Kawahara of the San Francisco Chronicle). The club is still awaiting the results of that examination and doesn’t have a timetable for Piña’s return.

The A’s haven’t officially announced that Piña will start the season on the injured list but it seems likely with Opening Day two weeks out. If that proves to be the case, the club will have to make a roster move. Shea Langeliers is the only other catcher on the 40-man roster. A Piña injury would necessitate an addition.

That could be one of the non-roster backstops in Spring Training. Yohel Pozo, who played 21 MLB games with the Rangers two seasons ago, is in camp on a minor league deal. Oakland also invited minor leaguers Kyle McCann, Tyler Soderstrom and last year’s first-round selection Daniel Susac to Spring Training.

Susac certainly isn’t in consideration for an MLB job. McCann, a fourth-round pick in 2019, played most of last season with Double-A Midland. Soderstrom, Oakland’s first-round pick out of high school in 2021, traversed three levels last year. The 21-year-old mashed over 89 games for High-A Lansing, continued to perform well in Midland, and secured a late-season cup of coffee with Triple-A Las Vegas. He’s now regarded by most evaluators as the top prospect in the organization.

Given Soderstrom’s youth and questions about his defense, it seems likely he’ll head back to Vegas to open the season. Still, Oakland general manager David Forst suggested this week there’s at least a small window for either of Soderstrom or third base prospect Zack Gelof to take a big league job — if not out of camp, then at some point this year (link via Martín Gallegos of MLB.com).

“Anything can happen,” Forst said. “Those guys have performed in Triple-A. They’ve played in the Fall League. They’re here getting starts in Major League games, so I think it would follow that you hope their opportunity to contribute comes this year at some point.” Gelof is also a 2021 draftee, though he was selected out of college and is two years older than Soderstrom. The Virginia product hit .271/.356/.438 in 87 Double-A games before a late-season bump to Triple-A.

The A’s have a number of options at third base if they wish to get Gelof more developmental work. Sending Soderstrom to Las Vegas, which still seems the likeliest move, would clear a path for Pozo or McCann to crack the roster as Langeliers’ backup if Piña misses time. It’s also possible the front office looks outside the organization as Opening Day draws nearer.

There are a number of non-roster players with other clubs who’ll be made available if they don’t break camp with their current team. The Guardians, for instance, have each of Meibrys Viloria, Cam Gallagher and Zack Collins in camp battling for the chance to back up Mike Zunino. At least one of those players won’t make the roster and could get to explore other opportunities. The Angels have two catchers who can’t be optioned, Max Stassi and Matt Thaiss, competing for jobs with top prospect Logan O’Hoppe and non-roster veteran Chad Wallach. Those are just two examples of organizations whose depth could get squeezed once roster decisions have to be made later this month.

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