Athletics Rumors

Seth Brown Likely To Miss 4-6 Weeks With Oblique Strain

By Anthony Franco | April 11, 2023 at 4:36pm CDT

A’s corner outfielder Seth Brown has been diagnosed with a Grade 2 strain of his left oblique, skipper Mark Kotsay told reporters (including Matt Kawahara of the San Francisco Chronicle). The injury has a general recovery timeline of four to six weeks.

Brown was already placed on the 10-day injured list over the weekend. It’s clear he’ll miss well beyond that minimum amount of time. It’s a tough blow to the A’s offense, as the lefty-hitting Brown was one of their more potent power bats. He connected on 25 home runs with a .230/.305/.444 line over 555 plate appearances last season. Brown started the year slowly but caught fire in the second half, tying for 11th in the majors with 15 homers after the All-Star Break.

As a result, Brown was penciled into the middle of the Oakland lineup against right-handed pitching. He’d hit third or fourth in all eight of his starts this season. Brown had opened the year slowly, hitting just .200 with one homer over his first 32 plate appearances. Still, his solid production of the previous two years ensured he’d get a long leash in an Oakland lineup that doesn’t have many established hitters.

The rebuilding A’s have predictably been off to a terrible start offensively. Only the Tigers (who have played one fewer game) have scored fewer runs than Oakland’s 28, and the A’s have a team slash line of just .198/.270/.325. They’re 2-8 through their first ten games.

Conner Capel has picked up the last three starts in left field. The 25-year-old seems likely to get the biggest jump in playing time with Brown out of action. Claimed off waivers from the Cardinals last summer, Capel has a .299/.355/.478 line in 30 big league games. The left-handed hitter combined for a .259/.361/.425 mark over 409 Triple-A plate appearances last season.

Athletics Recall Kevin Smith, Place Seth Brown On IL

By Nick Deeds | April 10, 2023 at 1:00pm CDT

April 10: The A’s made it official today, recalled Smith and placing Brown on the 10-day IL with a strained left oblique.

April 9: Oakland outfielder Seth Brown is headed for the injured list with an oblique issue, according to Martin Gallegos of MLB.com. Brown was unavailable during today’s game against the Rays after feeling discomfort during a check-swing in last night’s game, and it appears the issue is serious enough to warrant an IL-stint, though no details regarding Brown’s timetable for return have been revealed. Gallegos also reports that infielder Kevin Smith is set to join the club in Baltimore, presumably to replace Brown on the active roster.

Brown, who is entering his age-30 season in 2023, was the best hitter in the A’s lineup last season who returned this season as he posted a 25 homer season while slashing .230/.305/.444 in 150 games last year, good for a wRC+ of 117. Only Sean Murphy, who the A’s traded to the Braves in a three-team deal with the Brewers over the offseason, had a better year in terms of wRC+ among A’s regulars. Though he still has three seasons of team control left prior to free agency after 2023, Brown entered the year as a plausible trade candidate for the A’s come July due to his age and the club being in the midst of a rebuild that saw the likes of Murphy, AJ Puk, and Cole Irvin traded this past offseason.

Brown hits the injured list without having gotten going at the plate, having posted a wRC+ of just 71 in his first eight games this season, but with strikeout and walk rates roughly in line with last season and a deflated .238 BABIP, there was plenty of reason for optimism that his production would return to 2022 levels with a larger sample size. Those hopes will have to be put on hold for now, however, though it’s currently unclear if Brown will require only the minimum stay on the IL or miss a longer period.

That leaves the A’s likely to turn to Smith, who struggled mightily in 47 games at the big league level with Oakland last season, slashing just .180/.216/.302 in 151 plate appearances. That being said, Smith has a career .817 OPS in the minor leagues and, at 26 years old, could still put it together at the major league level. Acquired from the Blue Jays in the trade that sent Matt Chapman to Toronto, Smith provides the A’s with a great deal of versatility off the bench, as he has experience at all four infield spots in addition to the outfield corners.

Any time missed by Brown will likely stand to benefit outfielders Brent Rooker and Conner Capel, each of whom have drawn a start at Brown’s usual spot in left field over the past two games. It’s also possible that an infielder, like Tony Kemp, could move to left, allowing shortstop Nick Allen to get extra at-bats in the infield.

California Notes: Walsh, Padres, Dahl, Engel, Cruz, Morejon, Pomeranz, A’s, Blackburn, Rucinski

By Mark Polishuk | April 9, 2023 at 10:09am CDT

Jared Walsh has yet to suit up for the Angels this season, as he has been on the 10-day injured list recovering from insomnia and recurring headaches. Manager Phil Nevin provided media (including MLB.com and J.P. Hoornstra of the Southern California News Group) with an update on Walsh’s condition, saying that “He’s doing okay. He feels like he’s making a lot of progress, getting some clarity on what’s going on.” The recovery process has included a two-week stint with a specialist in Utah, which has limited Walsh’s baseball-related training activity mostly to weekends with the Angels’ Triple-A affiliate in Salt Lake City.

Owing to the unpredictable nature of his problem, there isn’t yet a timeline for Walsh’s return, as Nevin noted that the first baseman will need some level of a rehab assignment or a ramp-up period before he gets onto the field. Walsh was already making a comeback from an injury-hampered 2022 season, as he struggled to a .215/.264/.374 slash line in 454 plate appearances before undergoing surgery for thoracic outlet syndrome in September.

A’s, Zach Neal Agree To Minor League Deal

By Anthony Franco | April 7, 2023 at 7:04pm CDT

The Athletics have agreed to a minor league contract with right-hander Zach Neal, according to an announcement from his representatives at MSM Sports (Twitter link). He’ll presumably head to Triple-A Las Vegas.

Neal has pitched in parts of three major league seasons. Almost all of that work came with Oakland between 2016-17. Neal threw 84 2/3 innings of 4.89 ERA ball over that stretch. His 10.7% strikeout rate was well below-average, though he kept his walks to a microscopic 2% clip. Neal’s only other MLB experience came during the 2018 season in Los Angeles, when he threw one inning out of the bullpen.

After that season, Neal joined the Seibu Lions of Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball. He spent three years there, combining for a 4.49 ERA across 272 1/3 innings. Neal returned to the U.S. last season, inking a minor league deal with the Rockies. He pitched the 2022 campaign with their top affiliate in Albuquerque. That extremely hitter-friendly environment wasn’t kind to Neal, who allowed just under seven earned runs per nine in 116 2/3 innings across 29 appearances.

Neal’s 18.4% strikeout percentage in Albuquerque was above his career MLB mark but still a few points south of the league average. He kept his walks to a 5.4% clip for the Isotopes. Neal’s signing adds a strike-throwing depth starter to the upper levels of the Oakland system.

A’s Sign Spencer Patton To Minor League Deal

By Darragh McDonald | April 5, 2023 at 2:45pm CDT

The A’s have signed right-hander Spencer Patton to a minor league deal, reports Jon Heyman of The New York Post.

Patton, 35, pitched in the big leagues from 2014 to 2016 but struggled in that time and then headed to Japan. He spent four years with the Yokohama DeNA BayStars of Nippon Professional Baseball, from 2017 to 2020. He tossed 205 2/3 innings in that time over 219 appearances, posting a 3.68 ERA.

He returned to North America in 2021, signing a minor league deal with the Rangers. He was selected to the big league club and made 42 appearances that year with a 3.83 ERA, 27.9% strikeout rate, 8.7% walk rate and 41.3% ground ball rate. Unfortunately, last year was a little more rocky, as he was placed on the injured list in April with an oblique strain after just seven appearances and was later outrighted off the roster. He was doing fine in Triple-A for most of the year, having a 3.42 ERA through early August. However, he was bombed for 11 earned runs in his final three appearances, shooting his ERA up to 6.44 and leading to his release.

He’ll now join the Athletics’ organization and try to work his way back to the big leagues. The club’s bullpen has a couple of veterans in Trevor May and Jeurys Familia but everyone else has less than two years of major league service time. Patton will likely head to Triple-A Las Vegas and look to get himself in position for a big league opportunity, should one arise.

AL West Notes: McCullers, Blackburn, Taveras

By Nick Deeds | April 4, 2023 at 8:54pm CDT

Astros starter Lance McCullers Jr. is making progress in his rehab, with the Houston Chronicle’s Chandler Rome noting the right-hander is currently ahead of schedule. McCullers, who is currently rehabbing from an elbow strain, is throwing from 90 feet off flat ground and is on the verge of starting to throw on back-to-back days. Rome notes that it’s possible McCullers begins throwing off the mound sometime this month, providing a bit of clarity to McCullers’s timetable, which to this point has involved few details.

McCullers, 29, is entering the second season of his five-year, $85MM extension with the Astros this year. The right-hander has struggled badly with injuries in recent years, having pitched just 265 innings since the end of the 2018 season, and having made more than 22 starts just once in his career to this point, in 2021. When he has managed to pitch, however, McCullers has been excellent. He sports a career 3.48 ERA that drops to 3.16 when looking at his work following his 2019 Tommy John surgery. For his career, he’s posted a fantastic 55.1% groundball rate in addition to a solid 25.6% strikeout rate, though he has walked 9.8% of batters faced in his career, a figure that’s jumped to 11.1% over the last two seasons. Still, McCullers stands clearly as among the best starters in the game when healthy. Houston is currently using a rotation of Framber Valdez, Cristian Javier, Luis Garcia, Jose Urquidy, and top prospect Hunter Brown while McCullers is on the shelf.

MLB, MLBPA Agree To Four-Game Suspension For Anthony Rendon

By Anthony Franco | April 3, 2023 at 6:51pm CDT

6:51pm: MLB and the Players Association have negotiated the suspension down to four games, González reports (Twitter link). Rendon has dropped his appeal and will be out for the set in Seattle, as well as Friday’s series opener with the Blue Jays.

6:11pm: The Halos have informed reporters that Rendon is appealing the ban, tweets Sam Blum of the Athletic. He’ll continue playing while that process plays out. Rendon is starting at third base and hitting cleanup tonight against George Kirby.

5:05pm: Angels third baseman Anthony Rendon has been handed a five-game suspension, Major League Baseball announced Monday afternoon. He has also been fined an undisclosed amount.

The discipline arises out of an Opening Day incident in Oakland. Rendon got into an argument with an A’s fan, whom he said had called him a “b****.” Rendon was holding the fan’s shirt through the guardrail during that spat, in which he called the fan “a motherf*****.” Rendon then swiped towards the fan’s head with his left hand, although it didn’t appear he made contact on that swing. The All-Star infielder then walked down the dugout.

Video of the incident circulated on Twitter the following day. MLB and the Oakland Police Department both opened investigations. The OPD hasn’t provided any further update beyond initially noting they’ve created a case file and were “actively investigating” the matter. Rendon and the Angels both declined comment over the weekend.

Rendon has the right to appeal the suspension. It isn’t yet clear whether he’ll do so. If he declines to appeal, he’d begin serving the ban during tonight’s game against the Mariners.

Alden González of ESPN reported the suspension shortly before the league announcement.

Big Hype Prospects: Grissom, Liberatore, Soderstrom, Naylor, Silseth

By Brad Johnson | April 3, 2023 at 3:50pm CDT

It feels good to breathe again – by which I mean identify players to write about based upon who is tearing up minor league ball. While there hasn’t been much action yet, we have many big-name prospects appearing in Triple-A boxscores. Catchers feature prominently this week.

Five Big Hype Prospects

Vaughn Grissom, 22, 2B/SS, ATL (AAA)
16 PA, 1 HR, 2 SB, .417/.563/1.083

One of the top performers of Opening Weekend, Grissom seeks to embarrass the Braves for choosing Orlando Arcia and Ehire Adrianza over him. This is his first exposure to Triple-A after spending most of 2022 in High-A and the Majors. The extra taste of upper-minors action could be designed to avoid a developmental setback related to facing Major League pitching. Grissom appeared overexposed late last season once scouting reports were refined. There are still questions about his shortstop defense – questions that should be answered during the course of 2023.

Matthew Liberatore, 23, SP, STL (AAA)
5 IP, 12.60 K/9, 3.60 BB/9, 0.00 ERA

Of the prospect pitchers in Triple-A, Liberatore posted the best 2023 debut. He allowed six baserunners in five innings of work with seven strikeouts. Liberatore is a complicated player to scout. His individual pitches rate well, especially a visually filthy curve ball. The issue is his curve doesn’t tunnel with any of his other offerings, making it identifiable out of the hand. Last season, Liberatore worked to a 5.17 ERA in Triple-A with a 5.97 ERA in 34.2 Major League innings.

Tyler Soderstrom, 21, C/1B, OAK (AAA)
10 PA, 1 HR, .556/.600/1.222

A first-round pick from the wonky 2020 draft, Soderstrom surged through the minors last season. His bat is his calling card. He’s particularly adept at producing high exit velocities at an ideal launch angle. Defensively, he leaves much to be desired. While he could conceivably stick at catcher with several more years of hard work, his bat is nearly Major League ready and should play at first base. For that reason, as well as the presence of Shea Langeliers, Soderstrom is widely expected to switch to the cold corner on a more permanent basis this season.

Bo Naylor, 23, C, CLE (AAA)
15 PA, 2 HR, .385/.467/.923

Naylor is coming off a huge rebound season in the minors with an aim toward building upon his reputation as a power-hitting backstop. He has above-average speed for a catcher and could potentially move off the position over the long haul. His defensive capability is viewed as below average at this time. For now, the Guardians have rostered a trio of catchers known mainly for their defense. Like Soderstrom, Naylor’s bat is his carrying trait. He is a discipline-forward slugger whose high rate of contact is offset by an unwillingness to swing at pitches he can’t barrel. The result is a high strikeout rate despite a low swinging strike rate.

Chase Silseth, 23, SP, LAA (AAA)
5 IP, 10.80 K/9, 1.80 BB/9, 0.00

Silseth popped up as a standout in Double-A early last season. The pitching-needy Angels brought him directly to the Majors where he posted a 6.59 ERA (4.24 xFIP) in 28.2 innings. Silseth has a five-pitch repertoire. I’ve received mixed notes on his command. While we know he doesn’t issue many free passes, that could be because his stuff plays in the zone against minor league hitters. His best offering is a splitter. Silseth himself blamed the splitter for his poor performance in the Majors, noting that he needed the pitch to be on to succeed. Splitter consistency is a difficult trait to develop, especially for a starting pitcher. Don’t be surprised if he’s inconsistent as he loses and regains feel for his top weapon.

Three More

Matt Mervis, CHC (25): Mervis is an odd prospect in that he continues to torch the ball, yet scouts doubt his ability to hold a regular role in the Majors. He has a 1.167 OPS through 15 plate appearances. We should see him tested against Major League pitching before the calendar flips to summer.

Brett Baty, NYM (24): Baty’s strong spring continued into Triple-A. He has two home runs, a stolen base, and a 1.257 OPS through 15 plate appearances. Mets fans on social media are eager to see Baty oust Eduardo Escobar who is currently 1-for-16 with seven strikeouts.

Connor Norby, BAL (22): The Orioles’ impending glut of middle infielders includes Norby. The second baseman consistently outperforms his modest scouting grades. Bear in mind, the Orioles’ minor league venues are far friendlier to right-handed batters than Camden Yards. Norby strikes me as an obvious trade candidate later this summer.

A’s Select Carlos Perez

By Anthony Franco | March 30, 2023 at 11:19am CDT

The A’s announced they’ve selected catcher Carlos Pérez onto the 40-man roster. Oakland already had a 40-man vacancy following yesterday’s trade of outfielder Cristian Pache to Philadelphia.

Pérez, 32, signed a minor league deal with Oakland a couple weeks ago. He breaks camp as the backup to Shea Langeliers after the expected #2 backstop, Manny Piña, was sent to the injured list by right wrist pain. The A’s needed to add another catcher to the 40-man roster, and the veteran earned the job over former fourth-round pick Kyle McCann.

A right-handed hitter, Pérez has played 212 MLB games with the Angels, Braves and Rangers. He’s a career .215/.257/.319 hitter over 670 plate appearances. That came from 2015-18, so this’ll be his first big league action in nearly a half-decade. Pérez spent last year in Triple-A with the Rockies, where he connected on 31 home runs with a .254/.341/.524 line in 117 games.

Athletics Trade Cristian Pache To Phillies

By Steve Adams and Darragh McDonald | March 29, 2023 at 11:59pm CDT

The Athletics have traded outfielder Cristian Pache to the Phillies in exchange for minor league right-hander Billy Sullivan, per announcements from both teams. The Phillies opened a spot on the 40-man roster by placing first baseman Rhys Hoskins on the 60-day injured list.

Once one of the sport’s top-ranked overall prospects, the now 24-year-old Pache is an elite defender whose bat has yet to develop at the game’s top levels. He’s also out of minor league options and has been leapfrogged on Oakland’s depth chart by offseason trade acquisition Esteury Ruiz, which led manager Mark Kotsay to announce earlier in the week that Pache wouldn’t make the roster and that the front office was exploring potential trades.

They’ve found a match to their liking in Philadelphia, who’ll presumably use Pache as a reserve outfielder and perhaps a righty-swinging complement to left-handed-hitting center fielder Brandon Marsh. Pache is a particularly logical fit for the Phils, given that he can provide a late-game defensive upgrade over either Kyle Schwarber or Nick Castellanos (either by playing a corner himself or by stepping into center and pushing Marsh to a corner).

Pache has always been rated as an excellent defender going back to his early prospect days with Atlanta and that’s held true during his time in the majors as well. He’s already earned +9 Outs Above Average and +4 Defensive Runs Saved in 824 2/3 innings, though Ultimate Zone Rating does have him slightly below average. The major issue has been on offense, where he has struggled mightily. In 332 career plate appearances thus far, he’s hit just .156/.205/.234 for a wRC+ of 26, indicating he’s been 74% worse than the league average hitter. If the Phillies do plan on platooning him with Marsh, that might be the best use of abilities. He’s produced a passable .214/.267/.337 line against lefties for a wRC+ of 73, compared to a dismal .129/.176/.186 showing against righties, wRC+ of 4. These are fairly small sample sizes but there’s perhaps some glimmer of hope there.

For the A’s, they originally acquired Pache from Atlanta just over a year ago as part of the Matt Olson trade. They still have Shea Langeliers, Ryan Cusick and Joey Estes from that deal, but they surely hoped to get more from Pache in 2022 than they eventually did. He struggled enough that they had to send him to the minors for a few months, exhausting his final option year. When they acquired Ruiz and squeezed Pache out of regular action, they decided to pivot and move on.

In exchange for Pache, the A’s will get Sullivan, a right-handed pitcher who turns 24 next month. He’s spent the past two years getting work as a reliever, spending all of last year at Double-A. He tossed 51 innings over 44 appearances at that level with a 4.59 ERA. His 15% walk rate is very concerning, but he also struck out 32.1% of batters faced and got ground balls at a solid 45.5% clip. He’ll head over to a new organization that will undoubtedly be looking to improve that control in order to get those earned runs down.

Transferring Hoskins to the 60-day IL was an inevitable formality after he recently tore his ACL and will require surgery. That will almost certainly result in him missing the entire 2023 season.

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