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GM David Forst: Athletics Aim To Raise Payroll, Retain Coaching Staff

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While the Athletics’ move from Oakland to Sacramento will naturally dominate the headlines this season, general manager David Forst will have his hands full just with the normal trappings of the baseball offseason.  Forst told reporters (including radio broadcaster Jessica Kleinschmidt and the San Francisco Chronicle’s Susan Slusser) that the team plans to spend more on payroll than it did in 2024, and that the A’s are hopeful of bringing back the entire coaching staff for their first season in Sacramento.

As per RosterResource, the A’s spent roughly $63.1MM on payroll last season, easily the lowest in baseball.  Forst’s front office also has an entirely clean payroll slate heading into 2025, as the A’s don’t have a single dollar officially committed to any player for the coming season.  The Athletics have five impending free agents, five players eligible for salary arbitration (to the tune of a projected $13.8MM if all are tendered contracts), and the rest of the roster is still in their pre-arb years.

In theory, this gives Forst some flexibility in upgrading a team that showed some promise last season.  While the A’s were only 69-93, this at least represented a sizeable improvement from the club’s 112-loss performance in 2023.  Moreover, the Athletics seemed to turn a corner around midseason, as they were 39-37 from July 1 onward.  Between slugger Brent Rooker, flame-throwing closer Mason Miller, breakout outfielder Lawrence Butler, and others, the Athletics’ latest rebuild has already developed some interesting pieces of a new core.  Both Rooker and Zack Gelof are quoted in Slusser’s piece as having an eye towards contending as early as next season.

Of course, given the Athletics’ usual reluctance to spend, we should probably wait and see if owner John Fisher will indeed approve even a modest payroll increase.  This winter in particular carries the X-factor of how the Athletics’ revenues will be impacted by the move to Sacramento’s Sutter Health Park, a Triple-A stadium (home of the Giants’ top minor league affiliate) with a total capacity of just over 14,000.  As Slusser notes, there are still plenty of details about the move that team officials themselves aren’t yet certain.  Forst believed Sutter Health Park would continue to have an artificial playing surface during the Athletics’ tenure, though no renovation work has started on the field itself in preparation for 2025.

The other challenge facing Forst this offseason is how exactly he’ll be able to lure desirable players to join the A’s, even if more money is available to spend.  “We do have to sell it, and I’d be lying if I told you I knew what the answers will be on the other side,” Forst said.  While the younger talent on the roster might be attractive to free agents under normal circumstances, the fact remains that many players might not have interest in joining a franchise that will be spending at least its next three seasons in a minor league ballpark.  It seems likely that the A’s will again be limited to signing players to one-year contracts, with an eye towards flipping those players at the trade deadline if the team isn’t in contention.

As for the coaching staff, some turnover might develop if other teams step forward with job offers or promotions for any A’s coaches.  Slusser also suggests that the Athletics might not stand in the way if rival clubs had interest in manager Mark Kotsay, which would be an interesting wrinkle to both the team’s rebuilding plans and to any possible managerial vacancies around the league.

Kotsay is only 179-307 over three seasons as the Athletics’ skipper, though the poor record doesn’t fairly access his managerial ability given how little Kotsay has had to work with on a rebuilding roster, not to mention the added tumult of the franchise’s planned move.  Kotsay is under contract just through the 2025 season, and it is perhaps worth noting that the A’s let previous manager Bob Melvin go to the Padres when Melvin also had a year remaining on his contract.

“As far as the potential for losing [Kotsay], those things are out of my control right now,” Forst said.  “He absolutely deserves to be considered by anyone who has a managerial opening, but he’s under contract here and wants to be here. And there’s no one I would rather have managing this team.”

Brent Rooker Undergoes Forearm Surgery, Expected To Be Ready For Spring Training

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A’s general manager David Forst announced on Friday that star designated hitter Brent Rooker underwent extensor repair surgery on his right elbow/forearm (X link via Martín Gallegos of MLB.com). Rooker, who had a partial tear in the tendon, is expected to be fully recovered by the start of Spring Training.

Forst indicated that the slugger was playing through elbow discomfort throughout the year. That makes Rooker’s monster season even more impressive. He blasted 39 home runs with a .293/.365/.562 slash through 614 plate appearances. It was his second straight 30-homer campaign and proved that his All-Star breakout in 2023 was no anomaly. Rooker tied for fifth in the majors in longballs. Among batters with 500+ plate appearances, he ranked 17th in on-base percentage and sixth in slugging.

Teams no doubt tried to pry Rooker from the A’s leading up to the deadline. The front office made clear they had no real interest in moving him. Rooker is only entering his first season of arbitration. The A’s control him through 2027. MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz projects a modest $5.1MM salary for next year. Rooker is the only member of the A’s arbitration class who is a lock to be tendered a contract. They don’t have a single player on a guaranteed deal. There’s no financial pressure to deal him.

The A’s seem even less likely to trade Rooker on the heels of a somewhat encouraging second half. They played .500 ball after the All-Star Break. JJ Bleday, Lawrence Butler and Shea Langeliers join Rooker as part of an emerging group of offensive contributors. There’s still a lot of work to be done on the pitching staff, but there’s reason for optimism about the lineup as the team begins its three-year stint in Sacramento.

11 Players Elect Free Agency

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As the offseason nears, a number of players elect minor league free agency each week. These players are separate from six-year MLB free agents, who’ll reach the open market five days after the conclusion of the World Series. Eligible minor leaguers can begin electing free agency as soon as the regular season wraps up. These players were all outrighted off a team’s 40-man roster during the year and have the requisite service time and/or multiple career outrights necessary to reach free agency since they weren’t added back to teams’ rosters.

Electing free agency is the anticipated outcome for these players. There’ll surely be more to test the market in the coming weeks. We’ll offer periodic updates at MLBTR. These transactions are all reflected on the MiLB.com log.

Catchers

Infielders

Outfielders

Pitchers

34 Players Elect Free Agency

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As the offseason nears, a number of players elect minor league free agency each week. These players are separate from six-year MLB free agents, who’ll reach the open market five days after the conclusion of the World Series. Eligible minor leaguers can begin electing free agency as soon as the regular season wraps up. These players were all outrighted off a team’s 40-man roster during the year and have the requisite service time and/or multiple career outrights necessary to reach free agency since they weren’t added back to teams’ rosters.

Electing free agency is the anticipated outcome for these players. There’ll surely be more to test the market in the coming weeks. We’ll offer periodic updates at MLBTR. These transactions are all reflected on the MiLB.com log.

Catchers

Infielders

Outfielders

Designated Hitter

Pitchers

A’s Outright Brandon Bielak

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Sept. 25: Bielak went unclaimed on waivers and has been assigned outright to Triple-A Las Vegas, per the MLB.com transaction log. He’ll almost certainly become a free agent one way or another. He can reject the assignment right now or become a minor league free agent at season’s end, as is his right as a player with three-plus years of MLB service who was removed from a 40-man roster.

Sept. 22: The A’s announced this afternoon that they’ve designated right-hander Brandon Bielak for assignment. Right-hander Joe Boyle was recalled to the big league roster in a corresponding move, and Oakland’s 40-man roster now stands at 39.

It’s the second time this year Bielak has been DFA’d by the A’s. He was first removed from the club’s 40-man roster shortly after the club acquired him in a cash deal with the Astros back in May, and the righty was promptly outrighted to Triple-A after just three appearances in the majors. Bielak then struggled with Oakland’s Triple-A affiliate in Las Vegas, with a 6.08 ERA in 66 2/3 innings of work across 16 appearances (13 starts) but nonetheless was selected back onto the roster two weeks ago. He’s made three appearances for the A’s since returning with lackluster results, as he’s surrendered four runs on eight hits in 6 2/3 innings of work, striking out just two while walking five.

An 11th-round pick by the Astros in the 2017 draft, Bielak pitched for Houston at the big league level in each of the past five seasons before being swapped to Oakland. He served as a solid back-of-the-rotation arm and swing man from 2021-23, with a combined 4.05 ERA (104 ERA+) and 4.78 FIP in 48 games (15 starts) during those years. The righty began to struggle with the club in the majors this year, however, and in ten appearances as a multi-inning reliever surrendered a 5.71 ERA while walking (8.4%) nearly as many batters as he struck out (10.8%). Those struggles have obviously continued with the A’s, and his 2024 season comes to an end with a 5.16 ERA and 5.93 FIP in 29 2/3 innings of work. Assuming Bielak once again clears waivers, he’ll have the opportunity to reject an outright assignment in favor of heading to free agency for the first time in his career.

As for Boyle, the right-hander returns to the club’s roster to close out the season after making just four appearance in the majors since May 5 due to injuries and a stint in the minor leagues. Acquired from the Reds in exchange for Sam Moll at last year’s trade deadline, Boyle impressed with a 1.69 ERA in three starts for the A’s down the stretch last year but has had a rocky campaign this in 2024, which he kicked off by getting lit up for eight runs (seven earned) in 2 2/3 innings during his first start of the year. Boyle would go on to settle in a bit with a 4.13 ERA and a 24% strikeout rate in his next five starts, but his potential turnaround was cut short by a lower back strain that sent him to the IL in early May.

That stint on the shelf didn’t last very long, but Boyle found himself optioned to the minor leagues once he was healthy enough to return and struggled at the Triple-A level with a 5.12 ERA in 15 appearances, including 13 starts. Boyle eventually got called back up to the big leagues last month and struck out an impressive 28.2% of opponents in three starts, but surrendered a 5.40 ERA over that time and was moved to the bullpen, where he was promptly lit up for three runs on three walks and a hit-by-pitch while recording just one out. That disastrous outing resulted in Boyle’s second demotion of the year, but he’s now set to return to the majors in hopes of putting together a finish to the year that improves upon his brutal 7.12 ERA in 43 major league innings this year.

MLBTR Podcast: Final Days In Oakland, The Surging Tigers, And If The Nats Will Pursue Soto

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The latest episode of the MLB Trade Rumors Podcast is now live on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and wherever you get your podcasts! Make sure you subscribe as well! You can also use the player at this link to listen, if you don’t use Spotify or Apple for podcasts.

This week, host Darragh McDonald is joined by Steve Adams of MLB Trade Rumors to discuss…

Plus, we answer your questions, including…

  • What will the Yankees’ backup plan be if they don’t re-sign Juan Soto? (30:20)
  • Do you see the Pirates making any significant off season moves to put a good offense around Paul Skenes and Jared Jones? (39:30)
  • Which three teams will be the most interested in signing Willy Adames? Could he command $100MM over 4 years? (46:10)

Check out our past episodes!

The podcast intro and outro song “So Long” is provided courtesy of the band Showoff.  Check out their Facebook page here!

Esteury Ruiz Undergoes Arthroscopic Knee Surgery

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A’s speedster Esteury Ruiz underwent arthroscopic surgery to fix the patellar tendon in his right knee this afternoon. The team announced that Ruiz “will complete post-surgical rehabilitation in the offseason to prepare for 2025 Spring Training,” suggesting this shouldn’t impact his availability next season.

This was essentially a lost season for the 25-year-old outfielder. The A’s demoted Ruiz to Triple-A a few days into the season. While they recalled him a couple weeks later, he worked mostly in a bench role before suffering a left wrist injury that sent him to the injured list. Ruiz never made it back, as he battled renewed soreness in the wrist when he tried to ramp up on a rehab stint. The timing of the knee injury is unclear.

Ruiz was limited to 29 MLB contests — all of which came before the end of May. He hit .200 with 20 strikeouts in 65 plate appearances. It certainly wasn’t the step forward which the A’s had envisioned after Ruiz paced the American League with 67 stolen bases in 2023. That came with a middling .254/.309/.345 batting line and poor defensive grades in center field. Ruiz has yet to demonstrate he’s an especially effective all-around player, even if his speed makes him an elite baserunner.

The A’s built their return in the three-team Sean Murphy trade around Ruiz. Oakland looped in the Brewers as part of the deal, indicating they valued Ruiz more highly at the time than they did catcher William Contreras (who went from Atlanta to Milwaukee). Even with Shea Langeliers in the fold, that was an odd decision, since the A’s could have flipped Contreras elsewhere. It looks even worse in hindsight, as Contreras has developed into one of the game’s top catchers.

JJ Bleday has stepped up as the A’s primary center fielder. There should still be time for Ruiz to play his way back into center field work while pushing Bleday into a corner opposite Lawrence Butler. He’ll need to take steps forward on both sides of the ball to avoid falling into fourth or fifth outfielder territory.

Athletics Outright Jack O’Loughlin

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The A’s announced yesterday that they’ve assigned left-hander Jack O’Loughlin outright to Triple-A. O’Loughlin was designated for assignment by the club earlier this week to make room for the addition of Kyle Muller to the 40-man roster.

O’Loughlin, 24, is a native of Adelaide, Australia who signed with the Tigers as an amateur back in 2018. O’Loughlin made it to Triple-A with Detroit and went on to pitch for his home country in the World Baseball Classic before eventually landing with the A’s on a minor league pact earlier this year. He was selected to the big league roster back in May but has made just four appearances in the majors with middling results. The lefty posted a 4.66 ERA in 9 2/3 innings of work with nearly as many walks (five) as strikeouts (six).

His work at Triple-A Las Vegas hasn’t been much more impressive, as he’s posted a 6.19 ERA while swinging between the rotation and bullpen. While the inflated offensive environment of the Pacific Coast League helps to explain some of O’Loughlin’s struggles, his ERA is still far worse than league average despite a decent 22.9% strikeout rate against a 10% walk rate. If not added back to the club’s 40-man roster before the season ends, O’Loughlin will be eligible for minor league free agency this winter.

That could lead the lefty to a change of scenery that could help him improve. Difficult as his time with the A’s has been, O’Loughlin posted fairly solid numbers during his time with Detroit as he pitched to a 3.99 ERA in 27 appearances (25 starts) in 124 innings of work with the Tigers split between the High-A and Triple-A levels last year. That success suggests the 24-year-old could have another gear to his performance, as is further indicated by a solid 4.22 ERA in parts of four seasons pitching for the Australian Baseball League.

It’s hardly difficult to imagine that a club could have interest in O’Loughlin’s services on a minor league deal this winter, particularly given the scarcity of young, optionable pitchers who throw from the left side. The competition for that sort of depth role is much more competitive in Oakland than many other organizations, as the A’s currently employ T.J. McFarland, Hogan Harris, Scott Alexander, and Muller in their big league bullpen with Francisco Perez still available as non-roster depth at Triple-A.

A’s Designate Jack O’Loughlin For Assignment

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The A’s placed righty Ross Stripling on the 15-day injured list with a lower back strain and selected the contract of lefty Kyle Muller from Triple-A Las Vegas in his place, the team announced. In a corresponding move, left-hander Jack O’Loughlin was designated for assignment.

O’Loughlin, 24, made his big league debut with the A’s this year. The Aussie-born southpaw pitched 9 2/3 innings out of the Oakland bullpen and yielded five runs on 13 hits and five walks with six strikeouts in his first look in the majors. That came on the heels of a 6.19 earned run average through 68 1/3 innings (10 starts, 28 relief outings) in a hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League setting where O’Loughlin fanned 22.9% of his opponents against a 10% walk rate.

It’s the first season in the A’s organization for O’Loughlin, who was originally signed by the Tigers and inked a minor league deal with Oakland over the winter. He fared better in 2023 in Detroit’s system, when he pitched a combined 124 innings of 3.99 ERA ball as a starter between the High-A and Triple-A levels.

Muller, 26, will get a second look with the A’s after being passed through waivers earlier in the season. Once a top prospect with the Braves, he came to the Oakland organization as part of the trade sending Matt Olson to Atlanta. The Athletics hoped to be getting a largely MLB-ready piece for the back of their rotation, but Muller struggled badly in parts of two seasons with the big league club, serving up a 6.39 ERA in 119 2/3 innings of work. The A’s tried him exclusively out of the ’pen earlier this year, and he did turn in a 4.22 ERA more than three runs lower than last year’s 7.60 mark, but Muller’s fastball sat at a career-low 92.5 mph even in spite of the move to short relief, which likely turned some clubs off.

Since going back to Triple-A, Muller has stretched out and moved back into a rotation role. He currently has a 4.76 ERA in 28 1/3 innings. His last appearance was his best yet, as he pitched seven innings and held the Rangers’ Triple-A club to three runs on five hits and a walk with six punchouts. The A’s could use Muller in a variety of ways, and if he can impress over the final weeks of the year, perhaps he can put himself back in position to stay on the 40-man roster and be an option for next year’s staff in some capacity.

Athletics Select Brandon Bielak

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The A’s announced this morning that they’ve selected the contract of right-hander Brandon Bielak. Lefty Brady Basso was optioned to Triple-A to make room for Bielak on the club’s active roster, and the 40-man roster now stands at 40.

Bielak, 28, was an 11th-round pick by the Astros in the 2017 draft and pitched for Houston at the big league level in each of the past five seasons. He served as a solid back-of-the-rotation arm and swing man from 2021-23, with a combined 4.05 ERA (104 ERA+) and 4.78 FIP in 48 games (15 starts) during those years. The righty began to struggle with the club in the majors this year, however, and in ten appearances as a multi-inning reliever surrendered a 5.71 ERA while walking (8.4%) nearly as many batters as he struck out (10.8%).

Those struggles were enough for the Astros to decide to cut bait on the right-hander, and he was swapped to the A’s in a cash deal back in May as a result. The right-hander made just three appearances with his new club at the big league level but posted improved results over those 5 2/3 innings of work, surrendering two runs and walking just one while striking out three. Still, the A’s designated him for assignment just over a week after acquiring him, though unlike Houston they managed to sneak him through waivers and outright him to the minor leagues.

Since then, Bielak has struggled with Oakland’s Triple-A affiliate in Las Vegas, with a 6.08 ERA in 66 2/3 innings of work across 16 appearances (13 starts). Those results are rather lackluster, even after accounting for the Pacific Coast League’s inflated offensive environment. Bielak will now get another opportunity at the big league level with the A’s despite those shaky numbers, likely acting as a long relief option alongside veteran Ross Stripling for the club’s bullpen down the stretch.

Making room for Bielak on the club’s active roster is Basso. The 26-year-old lefty made his big league debut back in May and has been an up-and-down option for the A’s throughout the year with solid results. He made his first career start in the big leagues last night to impressive results, throwing six scoreless innings against the Tigers where he allowed just three hits and walked one while racking up six strikeouts. Overall, Basso has a 1.93 ERA and 2.97 FIP in 9 1/3 innings of work in the majors to go with a 4.55 ERA in 93 innings of work at the minor league level this year. The lefty hasn’t received substantial playing time in the majors so far but could factor into the club’s pitching staff more prominently as soon as next year.

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