Phil Garner Passes Away
Former three-time All-Star and longtime manager Phil Garner passed away on Saturday at age 76. A statement released by Garner’s family praised the medical care given to Garner during his fight with pancreatic cancer, and said that “Phil never lost his signature spark of life he was so well known for or his love for baseball which was with him until the end.”
Debuting with the Athletics in 1973, Garner hit .260/.323/.389 over 6136 plate appearances and 1860 games with the A’s, Pirates, Astros, Dodgers, and Giants during his 16-year career as a big league player. He became Oakland’s everyday second baseman in 1975 and received his first All-Star nod in 1976, but he was dealt after that season as part of a nine-player trade with the Pirates.
Garner played both second and third base (with some appearances at shortstop) during his four-plus years in Pittsburgh. His best season in terms of both personal and team accomplishments came in 1979, when Garner had a career-best 3.9 fWAR while hitting .293/.359/.441 with 11 homers and 17 steals for the Pirates’ World Series-winning team, which remains the last Buccos club to win a championship. Garner was a huge part of that title run, delivering a phenomenal .472/.537/.722 slash line over 41 PA during the postseason.
The Pirates traded Garner to the Astros partway through the 1981 campaign, and he went on to have several more successful years in a Houston uniform before his production declined in 1987. The Dodgers acquired Garner in a trade partway through the 1987 campaign but the change of scenery didn’t spark his bat, and Garner then played 15 games with the Giants over his final year as a player.
Garner’s gritty and grinding playing style made him a fan favorite, and perhaps all you need to know about Garner is that he was known as “Scrap Iron,” a nickname coined by former Pirates announcer Milo Hamilton. The blunt and tough-but-fair approach stuck with Garner in his post-playing days, as he went onto a successful second career as a manager over 15 seasons with the Brewers, Tigers, and back in Houston with the Astros.
As a skipper, Garner posted a 985-1054 career record, beginning with a 92-win season as Milwaukee’s manager in 1992. This was the only winning record Garner would post in eight seasons with the Brewers and three seasons in Detroit (from 2000-02), but he broke through in 2004 after being hired to take over an Astros team that had a 44-44 record.
Houston went 48-26 the rest of the way under Garner, and fell just short of a World Series appearance after losing the NLCS to the Cardinals in a memorable seven-game battle. The Astros beat St. Louis in a rematch the next season for the first pennant in Houston franchise history, though the Astros were swept by the White Sox in the World Series.
We at MLB Trade Rumors extend our condolences to Garner’s family, friends, and many fans.
Athletics Place Brent Rooker On Injured List
The Athletics announced today that outfielder/designated hitter Brent Rooker has been placed on the 10-day injured list due to an oblique strain. Infielder/outfielder Zack Gelof has been recalled as the corresponding move.
It’s not an especially surprising development. Rooker appeared to injure himself on a swing yesterday, reaching for his side. He was removed from the game with the A’s announcing his issue as right flank discomfort. Gelof was scratched from the Triple-A lineup, which suggested he would likely be called up to take Rooker’s place.
The A’s haven’t announced how long they expect Rooker to be out but obliques can be pesky injuries for baseball players since they play a notable role in rotating the body, which is important for swinging and pitching. Rooker is out to a slow start this year, with a .146/.245/.293 line, but in a small sample of 49 plate appearances. In a much larger sample of 1,839 plate appearances from 2023 to 2025, he hit 99 home runs and slashed .268/.343/.509.
The one benefit for the A’s is greater positional flexibility, as Rooker is usually the designated hitter. They can now use that spot to move guys in and out, lightening their workloads from time to time. Gelof has only played second base in his big league career but has been dabbling with some outfield work lately. The A’s have mostly been using Jeff McNeil at second. He’s the oldest regular position player, so perhaps he will get some more time as the DH.
Gelof has shown power in his big league career but has also been punched out in a third of his plate appearances. He’ll need to get that down to become a viable big leaguer. For what it’s worth, his minor league season has started well. He has only been punched out at a 13% clip in his small sample of 54 trips to the plate, which has helped him produce a monster .366/.519/.732 line. No one should expect him to hit like that in the majors but any improvement in the strikeout department should be a big help.
If the A’s want to try him in the outfield, their current mix includes Tyler Soderstrom, Denzel Clarke, Lawrence Butler and Carlos Cortes. Using Rooker’s vacated DH spot could allow the club to potentially spread some at-bats to that group and Gelof.
Photo courtesy of Wendell Cruz, Imagn Images
A’s Notes: Rooker, Ginn, Perkins
The Athletics are sending Brent Rooker for imaging tomorrow, writes Martín Gallegos of MLB.com. The slugger gestured toward his right side/hip area on a foul ball in the first inning of today’s win over the Yankees. Rooker exited the game after a brief conversation with trainers and skipper Mark Kotsay.
The preliminary diagnosis is right flank discomfort. The obvious concern is a potential oblique strain. Those usually require multi-week absences for hitters. Even moderate oblique strains can cost more than a month. The A’s will have a better idea tomorrow whether that’s in play.
Rooker has had a tough start to the season. He’s hitting .146 with 17 strikeouts in 49 trips to the plate. He did have a monster game against the Astros on Sunday, slugging both of his home runs and driving in six of his eight total RBI. He capped that game with a three-run, walk-off shot in the tenth inning off Bryan Abreu.
If Rooker needs an injured list stint, infielder Zack Gelof seems the favorite to replace him on the roster. The A’s scratched him from today’s Triple-A lineup. Gelof has been on an absolute tear to begin the minor league season, hitting .366 with a .519 on-base mark and four home runs over 54 plate appearances.
Gelof is primarily a second baseman and has gotten some outfield work this spring and in the minors. If Rooker misses time, the A’s could give 34-year-old second baseman Jeff McNeil some DH reps. Gelof or Carlos Cortes could grab some extra right field work if the A’s want to mix in a few semi-rest days for Lawrence Butler after last fall’s knee surgery.
The A’s took two of three from the Yankees this week. They’re staying in New York for a weekend set against the Mets. Former Mets draftee J.T. Ginn will start tomorrow’s series opener against Clay Holmes. It’ll be Ginn’s first start of the season after three relief appearances. The A’s needed a new fifth starter after optioning struggling righty Luis Morales earlier in the week. Ginn is seemingly getting the first opportunity.
Jack Perkins was recalled from Triple-A Las Vegas before Thursday’s game, with Michael Kelly optioned out in a corresponding move. Perkins is up for the first time this season and seemingly ticketed for the long relief role which Ginn had played. The righty has worked 7 2/3 innings over three Triple-A appearances this year, striking out nine but issuing seven walks. Perkins started four of his first 12 big league outings last season. He turned in a 4.19 earned run average through 38 2/3 frames.
Davey Lopes Passes Away
The Dodgers announced today that Davey Lopes passed away today at the age of 80. Lopes made his debut as a player in the early 1970s and went on to have a career as a coach and manager, making him a staple of the game for the bulk of five decades.
Lopes was a late bloomer. He didn’t make it to the majors until 1972, which was his age-27 season. Even then, he only got into 11 games for the Dodgers. The following year, his age-28 campaign, he finally established himself as a big league regular. He became the club’s second baseman and showed off the speed that would become his standout trait. He swiped 36 bags that year, his first of what would eventually be a 14-year streak of stealing at least 15 bases.
He stayed on the Dodger roster through the 1981 season, mostly covering the keystone but also with occasional action at shortstop, third base and in the outfield. The Dodgers had a very consistent infield during that stretch, with Steve Garvey the mainstay at first, Lopes at second, Bill Russell at short and Ron Cey at third.
Lopes played in 1,207 games for the Dodgers from his 1972 debut until the end of that 1981 campaign. He hit .262 in that time and launched 99 home runs but the eye-popping stat was his 418 stolen bases. He led the league in steals in both 1975 and 1976, with 77 in the former and 63 in the latter. The second instance was particularly impressive as injuries limited him to only 117 games. In 1978, he won a Gold Glove and also made the All-Star team, the first of four straight All-Star selections.
The Dodgers were quite good in that time but couldn’t quit win a title for most of it. They lost the World Series to the Athletics in 1974, then to the Yankees in both 1977 and 1978. In 1981, they were able to get the job done, topping the Yankees 4-2. Lopes stole ten bases in in 16 postseason games that year.
Prior to the 1982 season, he was traded to the A’s, kicking off the journeyman phase of his career. He would also bounce to the Cubs and Astros, playing past his 42nd birthday. He finished his career with 7,340 plate appearances over 1,812 games. He racked up 1,671 hits, including 155 home runs. He scored 1,023 runs and drove in 614. His 557 steals put him 26th on the all-time list.
He quickly pivoted to his post-playing career by becoming a bench coach with the Rangers. That was followed by stints as a first base coach with the Orioles and Padres. He was hired to manage the Brewers for the 2000 season. The club did not fare well and he was fired early in 2002. He never got another managerial gig and had a 144-195 record in that job. He then went back to being a first base coach, starting with a return to the Padres, followed by stints with the Nationals, Phillies, Dodgers and back to the Nationals. He retired from coaching after the 2017 season.
We at MLB Trade Rumors join the rest of the baseball world in sending condolences to the Lopes family as well as everyone else mourning him today.
Photo courtesy of Jayne Kamin-Oncea, Imagn Images
A’s Option Luis Morales
April 7th: The A’s officially announced today that they have selected Kuhnel and optioned Morales, while Hoglund was transferred to the 60-day IL. That means Hoglund won’t be eligible for reinstatement until late May.
April 6th: The Athletics optioned rookie righty Luis Morales to Triple-A Las Vegas this evening, according to the MLB.com transaction log. The A’s are off tonight and haven’t officially announced the transaction.
Martín Gallegos of MLB.com reports that reliever Joel Kuhnel will be selected onto the big league roster tomorrow as the corresponding move. That will require a spot on the 40-man roster. That’s at capacity and Gunnar Hoglund (lumbar spine strain) is their only player on the injured list. They’ll either transfer Hoglund to the 60-day IL or designate someone for assignment before their series opener in the Bronx.
Morales broke camp in the starting five. The Cuban-born hurler made a solid first impression last season, working to a 3.14 earned run average through 48 2/3 innings. He has had a brutal time the first two turns through the rotation this year. Morales allowed five runs in both appearances without completing five innings either time. His start against the Astros on Saturday was particularly poor, as he walked six batters and allowed eight hits without recording a strikeout.
The 23-year-old will spend at least a couple weeks in Triple-A in an attempt to get on track. Morales had also struggled to find the strike zone this spring, when he issued 14 walks across 19 frames. He was one of the A’s top pitching prospects throughout his time in the minors. Morales sits in the 96-97 mph range and has a power four-pitch mix that the A’s hope will lead to a future as a mid-rotation starter.
The A’s will need to call up a starter this weekend unless they plan to move J.T. Ginn from long relief back to the rotation. They’ve already announced it’ll be Aaron Civale, Luis Severino and Jeffrey Springs for their three-game set against the Yankees. Tonight’s off day means they could theoretically bring Jacob Lopez back on regular rest on Friday for their series opener against the Mets. However, they’d need a fifth starter by Saturday at the latest and are kicking off a run of 16 straight game days.
They’ll probably prefer to give Lopez the extra day and bring up someone else to step into what would’ve been Morales’ turn on Friday. Mason Barnett, Joey Estes and prospect Chen Zhong-Ao Zhuang are on the 40-man roster and working out of the rotation in Vegas. Zhuang is scheduled to start tomorrow and probably not under consideration for an MLB call.
Jack Perkins, who started four MLB games late last season, is also on the 40-man and has worked 2-3 inning stints out of the bullpen in the minors. Top prospect Gage Jump is not yet on the roster but opened the season in the Triple-A rotation. He has been inefficient in his first two starts but has managed a combined six innings of three-run ball with eight strikeouts. He threw 74 pitches yesterday and would be on regular rest if the A’s wanted to bring him up on Friday.
They’ll carry a ninth reliever in the interim. Kuhnel, 31, gets back to the big leagues for the first time since 2024. The 6’5″ righty worked 11 2/3 innings of two-run ball with 10 strikeouts as a non-roster invitee this spring. He carried that into the minor leagues, striking out six of 10 batters faced over three hitless innings with Las Vegas.
Kuhnel adds a power arm to Mark Kotsay’s middle relief group. He’s primarily a sinker-slider pitcher whose fastball checks in around 96 mph on average. Kuhnel owns a 5.86 ERA with a middling 19% strikeout rate and stronger 52% grounder percentage over 93 2/3 career innings. He’s out of options and needs to stick on the MLB roster or be designated for assignment.
Nick Anderson Has Upward Mobility Clause In Athletics Deal
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
8 Young Players Auditioning At New Positions
The 2026 season has gotten underway for all but six teams. The A's, Blue Jays, Braves, Royals, Rockies and Marlins will kick off their seasons today. The return of meaningful games has revealed or confirmed some usage plans.
There are a few veteran players who are known to be changing their primary positions this season -- in some cases sliding back to spots they've previously played. Brendan Donovan is moving over to third base to begin his Mariners tenure. The Marlins will play Christopher Morel at first base, while the Giants are giving Luis Arraez another chance to play second base. The Blue Jays are moving Andrés Giménez to shortstop after letting Bo Bichette walk. Mike Trout was back in center field for the Angels last night.
Positional movement is even more common for young players breaking in at the MLB level. Some well-regarded prospects are blocked at their natural positions and need to debut elsewhere. Others are moving down the defensive spectrum after struggling at their previous spots.
We'll run through some first- or second-year players taking on new defensive assignments to begin the year. They'll be worth monitoring to see how they take to unfamiliar spots on the diamond. For those who play fantasy baseball, this may also be an opportunity to get an early jump on players whose positional eligibility should expand within the first couple weeks of the season.
Jordan Lawlar, Diamondbacks, LF/CF
Lawlar was a full-time outfielder this spring, playing 14 games in center field and three in left. He made his regular season outfield debut as a left fielder last night. The D-Backs kept incumbent Alek Thomas in center, though they'll probably get Lawlar work up the middle as well. The 23-year-old made a nice play at the wall in his debut, taking a double away from Freddie Freeman in the process.
Throwing accuracy issues pushed Lawlar off third base at the end of the 2025 season. Arizona acquired Nolan Arenado to play alongside Geraldo Perdomo in what should be an excellent left side of the infield defensively. They need more offensive production out of the two outfield spots to the left of Corbin Carroll. Lawlar, a former No. 6 overall pick and .328/.414/.576 hitter in his Triple-A career, is going to get plenty of run out there.
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A’s Gunnar Hoglund Diagnosed With Lumbar Spine Strain
The Athletics officially announced their Opening Day roster on Thursday morning. They enter the season as one of the healthiest teams in the league. Their only player beginning the year on the injured list is right-hander Gunnar Hoglund, whom the A’s announced is dealing with a lumbar spine strain.
Hoglund was a lock to open the season on the shelf, as he didn’t pitch at all this spring. He was hampered by a right knee injury early in camp. Martín Gallegos of MLB.com reported a couple weeks ago that a back injury had also arisen, though there wasn’t a specific diagnosis until today. The spine injury is apparently the bigger concern than the knee.
The A’s haven’t announced a return timeline. Hoglund’s IL placement is backdated to March 22, so he could theoretically return after 12 games. Given his lack of Spring Training work, he’ll certainly need more time than that. The A’s 40-man roster is at capacity, and Hoglund would be their only candidate for a 60-day IL move if they want to make any waiver claims or select the contract of anyone from within the farm system.
Hoglund is a former first-round pick of the Blue Jays whom the A’s acquired in the 2022 Matt Chapman trade. Injuries have kept him from establishing himself by his age-26 season. Hoglund was already midway through rehab from Tommy John surgery when he was traded. He battled a few setbacks and only threw 69 combined innings over his first two and a half minor league seasons. Hoglund’s stuff was down when he finally logged a full season in 2024.
Things seemed to be trending up early last year. Hoglund had an early-season velocity rebound and pitched well over six Triple-A starts. The A’s called him up and gave him six turns through the rotation last May. Hoglund struggled in his first crack at big league hitters, allowing a 6.40 ERA across 32 1/3 innings. He went down with a left hip injury. That was initially termed an impingement but later revealed to be a more serious labrum injury that required season-ending surgery.
A’s Finalize Opening Day Bullpen
The A’s finalized their Opening Day bullpen last night, announcing that righty Jack Perkins has been optioned to Triple-A. He’ll likely remain stretched out as a rotation option in the minors, per Martin Gallegos of MLB.com. That leaves righties J.T. Ginn and Luis Medina (the latter of whom is out of minor league options) as the final two members of the Athletics’ initial relief corps this season.
There are no 40-man transactions at play here, but it’s notable that the hard-throwing Medina made the club, as he’d have otherwise been designated for assignment. That was hardly a lock, given the manner in which the 26-year-old has struggled this spring. Medina has pitched 7 1/3 innings and allowed six runs — good for a 7.36 earned run average. Small-sample ERA marks aren’t particularly meaningful, but Medina was probably lucky to “only” surrender six runs. He’s been tagged for six hits and walked a whopping nine batters (24.3%) this spring.
Some rust for Medina is understandable, however. He didn’t pitch at all last year after undergoing Tommy John surgery in August of the 2024 season. Medina has never had particularly sharp command, though this spring’s struggles to locate the ball are obviously extreme even by his prior standards. He’s walked 11.4% of his opponents in 149 2/3 big league innings.
The A’s acquired Medina, JP Sears, Ken Waldichuk and Cooper Bowman from the Yankees in the 2022 trade sending Frankie Montas and Lou Trivino to the Yankees. He’s started 25 games for the A’s and made another six relief appearances since, but opponents have roughed him up for a 5.35 ERA. Medina averaged 96 mph on his four-seamer while working primarily as a starter prior to surgery. He’s been sitting 97.2 mph this spring while working in short relief.
The rotation may not have panned out for Medina, but a pitcher with his velocity and a slider that has generated a huge 20.2% swinging-strike rate could have success in a bullpen capacity. The A’s have invested more than a year in the right-hander’s rehab from that UCL surgery, so despite the rocky spring, it’s only natural that they want to give him some leash to see if he can round into form and give them a quality bullpen option. He’s earning just $835K this year and is under club control through 2029.
Ginn has had an even rougher spring. The former second-round pick came to the A’s from the Mets in the trade sending Chris Bassitt to Queens. He’s been tagged for 17 runs on 18 hits, seven walks and four hit batters during Cactus League play. Ginn has fanned nearly a quarter of his opponents and been dogged by a sky-high .385 average on balls in play, but it’s been an underwhelming spring regardless.
Be that as it may, Ginn will get a crack at carving out a role in a wide-open bullpen landscape. He’s pitched 124 1/3 major league innings to date and carries a 4.85 ERA, 24% strikeout rate and 7.5% walk rate. Ginn’s heater has ticked up a bit this spring, and he’s been mixing in more cutters and changeups at the expense of his slider and sinker. He’s a somewhat natural candidate for a multi-inning/swing role, given his prior work as a starter. Even this spring, he’s made four starts.
The A’s will enter the season with a committee approach to the late innings. Veterans Scott Barlow and Mark Leiter Jr. are the only A’s relievers with real late-inning experience — the former as a closer and the latter as a setup man. It’s been four years since Barlow pitched like a high-end closer, however, and while Leiter has continued to see leverage opportunities in recent seasons, he has a lackluster 4.66 ERA dating back to Opening Day 2024.
Barlow, Leiter, Ginn and Medina will be joined by lefty Hogan Harris and right-handers Justin Sterner, Michael Kelly and Elvis Alvarado in manager Mark Kotsay‘s Opening Day ‘pen. Leiter, Barlow and Medina are the only three members of that octet who cannot be optioned to Triple-A, so there’ll surely be something of a revolving door in the Athletics’ bullpen early in the season as they cycle in fresh arms and look to find the optimal combination for Kotsay.
A’s Trade Cooper Bowman To Rays
The Athletics and Rays announced a swap of minor league players. Infielder Cooper Bowman goes to Tampa Bay, while the A’s acquire right-handed reliever Gerlin Rosario. Neither player has appeared in the big leagues, nor are they on their respective clubs’ 40-man rosters.
Bowman is the closer of the two to the majors. A 26-year-old second baseman/left fielder, he was selected by the Reds in the 2024 Rule 5 draft. Bowman hit .120 in 13 Spring Training contests. Cincinnati passed him through waivers and returned him to the A’s halfway through camp. Bowman had a rough season in the minors, twice landing on the injured list and struggling when healthy. He hit .234/.328/.385 across 326 plate appearances, most of which came in the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League.
The A’s opted not to extend Bowman a non-roster invitation to big league camp this year. He’ll open the season with Tampa Bay’s top affiliate in Durham. Bowman has shown some stolen base acumen in the minors and posted solid offensive numbers back in 2024, when he hit .262/.351/.419 between the top two levels. He’ll provide non-roster second base depth with Richie Palacios pressed back into MLB action by the shoulder impingement sending Gavin Lux to the injured list.
Rosario, 24, spent the entire 2025 season at High-A Bowling Green. He worked to a 2.27 ERA across 47 2/3 innings, albeit with a modest 21.7% strikeout rate. He has never appeared in MLB camp. The A’s will probably send him to Double-A for the first time in his career.