Headlines

Go To Pro Hockey Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Athletics Rumors

Twins Notes: Larnach, Miranda, Rotation, Winder

By | at

The Twins announced this afternoon they’ve optioned corner outfielder Trevor Larnach and infield prospect Jose Miranda to Triple-A St. Paul. Neither player will break camp with the big league club.

Larnach played in just under half of Minnesota’s games as a rookie last season. The former first-rounder and top prospect only managed a .223/.322/.350 line in 301 plate appearances, striking out at a 34.6% clip. Those swing-and-miss concerns resulted in the Twins optioning Larnach back to Triple-A in August, and he’ll start this season in the minors as well.

With a projected regular outfield of Alex Kirilloff, Byron Buxton and Max Kepler, there weren’t everyday at-bats to afford to Larnach early on. The 25-year-old is still a valuable long-term piece for the organization, and they’d evidently prefer to get him regular run in the minors as opposed to having him start the year as a part-time player.

That’s also the case for Miranda, a 23-year-old who broke out with a huge .344/.401/.572 line between the minors’ top two levels. That earned him a place on the back half of Baseball America’s and FanGraphs’ Top 100 Prospects lists this winter, but he’ll head back to St. Paul to start the year. Minnesota has offseason acquisition Gio Urshela at third base, with Jorge Polanco and Luis Arraez options at the keystone and designated hitter. Miranda, added to the 40-man roster in November, figures to get his first big league look at some point this year. That’ll be put on hold by the Twins enviable collection of infield depth.

Strong as Minnesota’s position player group looks, the team’s rotation is still a major question mark. The Twins entered the offseason likely needing to add three starters from outside the organization. They’ve done so, acquiring Sonny Gray from the Reds and signing free agents Dylan Bundy and Chris Archer. Each of Bundy and Archer comes with durability and performance questions related to tough 2021 seasons, though.

The Twins were recently connected to A’s starters Frankie Montas and Sean Manaea, both of whom would still be marked upgrades to the starting staff. The latest reports suggest Oakland could elect to keep both of those hurlers, and Montas in particular now seems unlikely to be moved before Opening Day. The Twins were linked to Montas/Manaea before they signed Archer on Monday, and it now appears they’ll break camp with a rotation of Gray, Bailey Ober, Archer, Bundy and rookie Joe Ryan.

In an appearance on SKOR North’s Mackey & Judd podcast this week, Darren Wolfson noted the Twins talks with the A’s had “stagnated.” Betsy Helfand of the St. Paul Pioneer-Press hears the A’s never made a formal ask for anyone from Minnesota in Montas and Manaea discussions. Wolfson suggests the Twins could be willing to revisit discussions on Montas and Manaea at some point, but Minnesota chief baseball officer Derek Falvey indicated this week the team is content with their existing rotation options. “We’ll always stay open-minded to everything,” Falvey said about the possibility of acquiring another starter (via Helfand). “I know I always say that, but that’s true. It’s just at this late stage as we approach Opening Day, it feels like the group is probably in this room.”

Like every team, the Twins will need to rely on more than five starters throughout the course of a 162-game season. Righty Josh Winder, Baseball America’s #6 prospect in the organization, would appear to be the top depth option out of the gate. Winder has yet to make his MLB debut, but he pitched to a 1.98 ERA with excellent strikeout and walk rates (31.3% and 4.8%, respectively) in 10 Double-A starts last season. The Twins could start him in the St. Paul rotation, but manager Rocco Baldelli told reporters (including Do-Hyoung Park of MLB.com) today they’re open to carrying him with the big league club as a long relief option.

The organization no doubt views Winder as a starting pitcher long-term, but keeping him in the MLB bullpen could allow him to stay stretched out and get his feet wet in the big leagues. Given the rather thin rotation, the VMI product figures to be starting games before long.

A’s Notes: Honeywell, Guerra, Kaprielian

By | at

A’s right-hander Brent Honeywell Jr. has an olecranon stress reaction in his throwing elbow, the team informed reporters (including Matt Kawahara of the San Francisco Chronicle). He is being shut down indefinitely as the club determines next steps.

It’s the latest in a brutal series of injuries for the 26-year-old, whom Oakland acquired from the Rays over the winter. A former fourth-round pick, Honeywell dominated at the lower levels of the Tampa Bay system and quickly emerged as one of the sport’s most promising pitching prospects. Baseball America slotted him among their Top 100 overall farmhands heading into the 2016 campaign, the first of five straight years in which he’d hold a place on that list.

That Honeywell was a top prospect for half a decade spoke both to his talent and to the injuries that kept him from exhausting his rookie eligibility. He didn’t throw a single pitch in an affiliated game from 2018-20, undergoing a staggering four elbow surgeries in that time. He required Tommy John surgery in February 2018; during his rehab, he fractured his elbow the following June. Honeywell then underwent an ulnar nerve decompression procedure in May 2020 before requiring an arthroscopic procedure at the end of that season.

Honeywell returned to make 31 appearances with the Rays’ top affiliate in Durham last season, and he saw action in his first three big league outings. His strikeout rate was way down, though, and the Rays moved him to the A’s for cash to clear a roster spot in advance of Rule 5 protection day. When Honeywell will next take the ball isn’t clear, but it’s a virtual lock he’ll begin the year on the injured list and it wouldn’t be surprising if he’s in for another lengthy absence.

In another bit of ominous injury news for the A’s, reliever Deolis Guerra paused his throwing program after feeling some tightness in his forearm (Kawahara link). Forearm tightness is a fairly common precursor to UCL injuries, although it won’t be known whether he’s dealing with a notable structural issue until he goes for further testing tomorrow. Guerra, 33 next month, threw a career-high 65 2/3 innings over 53 appearances last year. He posted a 4.11 ERA with decent strikeout and walk rates (23% and 7.4%, respectively).

In a positive development, righty James Kaprielian responded well to a weekend bullpen session (via Kawahara). He has been dealing with irritation in the AC joint in his throwing shoulder this spring. With a little more than a week until Opening Day, Kaprielian still seems likely to begin the season on the IL, but the former first-rounder should have a key role on the starting staff whenever he’s ready to go. He made 24 appearances (including 21 starts) in 2021, pitching to a 4.07 ERA with a 24.2% strikeout percentage.

Athletics Re-Sign Jed Lowrie

By | at

March 28: Lowrie is guaranteed $850K on the deal, tweets MLB Network’s Jon Heyman. He’ll also earn a $100K bonus for spending 60 days on the active roster and would receive a $150K assignment bonus if traded. Heyman adds that Stephen Vogt’s one-year deal with the A’s has those same terms.

March 26: The Athletics officially announced the signing.

March 25: The A’s are re-signing Jed Lowrie to a one-year contract, reports Eno Sarris of the Athletic (Twitter link). It’ll be the veteran infielder’s second straight season in green and gold and his seventh year in Oakland over three separate stints. The A’s have a vacancy on their 40-man roster, so no additional move will be necessary. Lowrie is a client of Excel Sports Management.

Oakland is plenty familiar with Lowrie, who has generally been productive while donning an A’s uniform. He posted a wRC+ of at least 120 (offense 20 percentage points above league average) in both 2017 and 2018, picking up an All-Star nod in the latter season. That positioned him to land a two-year, $20MM deal with the Mets that rather infamously went off the rails due to injuries.

Lowrie only took eight trips to the plate as a Met, dragged down for his entire time in Queens by knee issues. He returned to the Oakland organization via minor league deal last winter, and he broke camp with the big league club. His making the roster wasn’t unexpected, but it was surprising the A’s declared him their primary second baseman, a position at which he started on Opening Day.

Former manager Bob Melvin penciled him in at the keystone 69 times over the course of the year, while he saw action in 58 games as the designated hitter. Lowrie’s defensive metrics weren’t great, as one might expect for a 37-year-old middle infielder coming off serious knee trouble. Yet the switch-hitting veteran showed he still had some life in his bat, posting a .245/.318/.398 line with 14 homers in 512 plate appearances. That’s exactly league average offensive production, according to wRC+, and Lowrie’s underlying numbers were solid.

As he’s been throughout his career, Lowrie was patient enough to take pitches outside the strike zone. He made contact on 77.9% of his swings, the lowest mark of his career but still a hair better than average. And Lowrie posted better batted ball marks than his .398 slugging percentage might suggest. He made hard contact (defined as a ball hit 95 MPH or harder) on 45.9% of his balls in play, about ten points higher than the league mark. His 90.3 MPH average exit velocity was a couple ticks above average, as was his 9.3% barrel rate (essentially a measure of how often a batter hits the ball hard at an optimal launch angle for extra-base impact).

The A’s front office and manager Mark Kotsay obviously value Lowrie’s presence in the clubhouse. Between that familiarity and his still capable offensive traits, he earns another guaranteed roster spot in Oakland. It surely won’t be a costly add for the A’s, who have spent most of the winter orchestrating a sell-off to slash payroll. Lowrie isn’t going to make them into a contender, but the recent re-signings of he and Stephen Vogt add a couple highly-regarded veteran role players to an increasingly youthful clubhouse. Tony Kemp seems likely to be the primary second baseman, but Lowrie can work his way onto the field between the keystone, first base and DH.

Image courtesy of USA Today Sports.

A’s Sign Stephen Vogt

By | at

MARCH 24: Oakland has officially announced the signing of Vogt to a one-year deal. The team already had a pair of vacancies on the 40-man roster, so no additional move was necessary. Vogt will earn $850K guaranteed, plus a $100K bonus for 60 days on the active roster and a $150K assignment bonus if traded, tweets MLB Network’s Jon Heyman.

MARCH 23: The A’s and catcher Stephen Vogt are in agreement on a major league contract, pending a physical, reports Matt Kawahara of the San Francisco Chronicle (Twitter link). Vogt is a client of All Bases Covered Sports Management.

It’s a return to the organization for Vogt, who had his best seasons with the A’s. The lefty-hitting backstop played in Oakland between 2013-17, hitting .255/.316/.416 over that stretch. That’s exactly league average offense, by measure of wRC+, but Vogt had a couple above-average seasons during that run. He combined to hit 27 homers with a .268/.333/.438 line in 798 plate appearances from 2014-15.

The amiable Vogt became a fan favorite during his four-plus seasons in Oakland, which included back-to-back All-Star appearances in 2015-16. His production tailed off at the end of his run there, though, as he was off to just a .217/.287/.357 start through 54 games in 2017. The A’s placed him on waivers, where he was scooped up by the Brewers. He popped eight homers in a reserve capacity with Milwaukee that year, but he missed basically all of the following season due to a shoulder strain.

Vogt rebounded from the injury in 2019. He returned to the Bay Area with the Giants and hit .263/.314/.490 in 280 trips to the plate. The past two years, on the other hand, have been a significant struggle. Vogt hit .188/.274/.319 in 102 games split between the D-Backs and Braves. He finished last season on the injured list with hip inflammation, preventing him from partaking in Atlanta’s run to a World Series title.

At 37 and coming off back-to-back down seasons, Vogt fell towards the back of this winter’s free agent catching class. He’ll return to a familiar environment where he’s beloved by a sizable portion of the fanbase, providing skipper Mark Kotsay both a valuable clubhouse presence and a bat-first depth option at catcher. Sean Murphy is obviously in line for the bulk of the playing time behind the dish, with the out-of-options Austin Allen the only other backstop on the 40-man roster. Oakland will have to break camp with the 28-year-old Allen or designate him for assignment, but the arrival of Vogt could put his time in the organization in jeopardy.

It’s not entirely out of the question Murphy changes uniforms in the coming weeks. The A’s have kicked off an organizational reboot this winter, flipping Chris Bassitt, Matt Olson and Matt Chapman in an effort to cut costs. Signing Vogt to what’s assuredly a low-cost deal won’t have any impact on the front office’s thinking on Murphy, who is controllable through 2025 and not yet arbitration-eligible. That makes Murphy a long shot to be dealt, but if the A’s did flip him before Opening Day, Vogt and Allen would figure to pick up the lion’s share of playing time. Oakland did acquire top catching prospect Shea Langeliers from the Braves in the Olson deal, giving them another promising long-term option at the position.

The A’s payroll-cutting efforts have trickled over into free agency, where the club has done essentially nothing this winter. Once finalized, Vogt’s deal will be the A’s first (and quite possibly only) major league contract of the offseason. They’d been the only team not to have signed a player to a big league deal. Vogt will get them on the board, but that’s probably only a minor consolation for a fanbase that has seen a few highly-regarded players shipped off since the lockout ended.

Latest On Athletics’ Trade Possibilities

By | at

7:39pm: Jon Heyman of the MLB Network tweets that rival teams don’t view it as an inevitability that the A’s trade either of Manaea or Montas. Heyman concurs Manaea seems likelier to find himself on the move than Montas but suggests it’s possible Oakland just carries both starters on its Opening Day roster.

2:39pm: It’s been a week since the Athletics’ last trade, which sent third baseman Matt Chapman to the Blue Jays in exchange for a package of four prospects. After the A’s shipped out Chris Bassitt, Matt Olson and Chapman within just a week of the lockout lifting, the expectation was that additional moves would follow.

That’s still likely to be the case, although the pace has slowed. Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic tweets that Oakland’s current focus is on finding a trade partner for lefty Sean Manaea. While the general expectation has been that both Manaea and right-hander Frankie Montas will be moved, Rosenthal suggests the A’s are still still “deciding how to proceed” with Montas.

It’s only logical that for the time being, moving Manaea is the team’s bigger priority. Not only is the 30-year-old Manaea the more expensive of the two arbitration-eligible hurlers — Manaea settled on a $9.75MM salary yesterday, compared to Montas’ $5.025MM settlement — he’s also set to reach free agency after the 2022 season. Montas, meanwhile, is controlled through 2023, so the A’s could conceivably open the season with him in the rotation and shop him at the summer trade deadline, when buyers may have more urgency than they do at the moment.

Of course, the other side of that equation is that there could also be a broader supply of arms available to pitching-hungry clubs in July. At present, Manaea and Montas are the two most available starters on a trade market that still has plenty of clubs looking for arms. The Twins, Royals, Yankees, White Sox, Rays and Tigers have all reportedly spoken to the A’s about potential deals in the past week or so, and other clubs have surely done so more quietly. Oakland’s bargaining power only increased when Reds GM Nick Krall publicly declared that he did not expect to trade either Luis Castillo or Tyler Mahle, both of whom had been drawing substantial trade interest themselves.

With Castillo and Mahle ostensibly off the market and few other teams dangling proven big league starters, the A’s have plenty of negotiating leverage. Fast forward to this July, and there may be teams with enhanced motivation to buy — but there will also unquestionably be more arms available in trade. Clubs with current designs on contending will fall out of the playoff picture and look to move short-term assets.

Manaea, the No. 34 overall draft pick back in 2013, is a rental for the 2022 season but a good one. He tied for 22nd in MLB with 179 1/3 innings pitched in a 2021 campaign that saw many clubs aggressively monitor pitcher workloads on the heels of the shortened 2020 schedule. Since returning from shoulder surgery late in the 2019 season, he’s tallied 263 innings of 3.73 ERA ball (3.64 FIP, 3.78 SIERA) with a solid 24.8% strikeout rate and an excellent 5.2% walk rate. As a Boras Corporation client who’s just a year from free agency, Manaea might not be a likely extension candidate for a new team, but he’d bolster nearly any of the other 29 rotations in Major League Baseball.

Montas and Manaea aren’t the only two trade candidates remaining on Oakland’s roster, however. Center fielder Ramon Laureano and reliever Lou Trivino have both been listed as possible trade chips. Laureano, in particular, has been a target for the Marlins at times this winter, according to Craig Mish and Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald. The Fish have made no secret of their desire to add a center fielder, and while their interest in Pittsburgh’s Bryan Reynolds is well-known by now, Mish and Jackson report that Miami actually had more serious negotiations with the A’s about Laureano than they did with Pittsburgh about Reynolds.

The two teams discussed myriad scenarios, one of which would’ve sent Laureano and a reliever to Miami. Outfield prospect JJ Bleday was of particular interest to the A’s, per the Herald report — although there surely would have been several other pieces going back to Oakland, particularly if the A’s were to include Trivino or another reliever in the deal. Those talks didn’t culminate in a deal, however, and the Marlins have since deepened their outfield mix with another corner option: Jorge Soler. It’s still feasible that they could rekindle talks, even if they’re presently dormant. Longtime Marlins beat writer Joe Frisaro wrote just this morning that the Fish haven’t closed the door on circling back to the trade market to make one more attempt at finding a new a center fielder.

As things stand, the A’s have just under $59MM on the books for the 2022 season. Their trades of Bassitt, Olson and Chapman have already netted them ten young players: right-hander J.T. Ginn, right-hander Adam Oller, center fielder Cristian Pache, catcher Shea Langeliers, right-hander Ryan Cusick, right-hander Joey Estes, right-hander Gunnar Hoglund, shortstop Kevin Smith, left-hander Zach Logue and left-hander Kirby Snead.

A’s Avoid Arbitration With Montas, Manaea

By | at

5:47pm: The A’s and Manaea have settled on a $9.75MM salary, reports Kiley McDaniel of ESPN (on Twitter). That finalizes the 2022 price tags of two of the trade market’s top arms.

5:40pm: The Athletics and right-hander Frankie Montas have agreed to a $5.025MM salary to avoid arbitration, reports Robert Murray of FanSided (Twitter link). That’s a bit less than the $5.2MM projection of MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz.

There have been a handful of players to settle for higher guarantees than Montas has today, but his price point is among the most notable of any arbitration-eligible player. The righty is probably the top starter available on the trade market, as the A’s have shopped essentially all of their higher-paid options. Chris Bassitt, Matt Olson and Matt Chapman have all been shipped out already; Montas and Sean Manaea are widely expected to be moved as well, with each having already been prominent targets for pitching-needy clubs.

Montas is controllable through 2023, as he’ll be arbitration-eligible again next winter. Manaea, on the other hand, is headed into his final year of control. The southpaw is projected for a $10.2MM salary. That makes Montas the more desirable trade target, as he’s both more affordable this year and any acquiring club could keep him around for an additional season.

Twins Pursuing Frankie Montas

By | at

The Twins may not be done upgrading their roster, even after the surprise addition of Carlos Correa overnight. The Twins are talking with the A’s about the availability of Frankie Montas, per Marly Rivera of ESPN (via Twitter).

If there’s an area of the roster that still needs some help, it’s the rotation, even after last week’s acquisition of Sonny Gray. Montas would add significant stability to a rotation that mostly consists of question marks after Gray. Montas, who turns 29 on Monday, is coming off a career year in which he posted a 3.37 ERA/3.37 FIP over a career-high 187 innings while making 32 starts. It was the first time he eclipsed the 100-inning mark in a single season.

That Montas will be dealt is all but a foregone conclusion now that the Athletics have already sent Matt Chapman, Matt Olson, and Chris Bassitt packing. Now, it’s just a matter of finding the right offer. With the Twins shifting into full-go mode, they might be motivated to meet Oakland’s demands.

After Gray, the Twins are looking at a field of rotation candidates that includes veteran Dylan Bundy, and then a host of arms with little rotation experience, such as Bailey Ober, Joe Ryan, Randy Dobnak, Lewis Thorpe, Griffin Jax, Drew Strotman, Cole Sands, and Jhoan Duran. Ryan and Strotman were both acquired as part of last year’s sell-off, but both will need time to establish themselves as consistent big leaguers.

Tigers Notes: Manaea, Montas, Greinke, Torkelson, Greene

By | at

The Tigers have had an active offseason, acquiring Javier Báez, Eduardo Rodríguez, Andrew Chafin and Tucker Barnhart. They could still use some help at the back of the rotation, though, and they’ve been tied to a few starting pitchers in recent days.

Jon Heyman of the MLB Network tweeted last night that Detroit was among the teams in discussions with the A’s about Frankie Montas and Sean Manaea. It is widely believed Oakland will move one or both of those players, as the A’s have kicked off their long-rumored reboot since the lockout was lifted. Chris Bassitt, Matt Olson and Matt Chapman have already been shipped out. Manaea, entering his final year of club control, seems a lock to change teams. Montas has an additional year of control, but that was also true of Chapman and Olson.

Either would be a marked upgrade to the rotation, beyond a typical back-of-the-rotation acquisition. Manaea tossed 179 1/3 innings of 3.91 ERA/3.68 SIERA ball last season, his third sub-4.00 showing in four full seasons. Montas was even better, pitching to a 3.37 ERA in 187 frames with a strong 26.6% strikeout rate.

The A’s two starters may be the top two arms available to pitching-needy clubs. Every currently healthy starting pitcher who made MLBTR’s Top 50 Free Agents list entering the offseason has already signed. The Reds don’t intend to trade Luis Castillo or Tyler Mahle, leaving few obvious remaining trade candidates.

Detroit general manager Al Avila met with reporters (including Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free-Press) this afternoon. He acknowledged that the market was “thinning out a little bit” but said the front office was “still trying to improve the team.” The Tigers were reportedly involved in the bidding for Zack Greinke before the six-time All-Star returned to the Royals on a $13MM deal. Avila confirmed as much today, saying “we were in the Greinke situation” but that the righty preferred to “(go) back to Kansas City and the place where he started.” Avila implied the Tigers were prepared to make an offer at least competitive with the Royals’ proposal but suggested Detroit was at a geographic disadvantage against their division rivals.

Asked about the possibility of acquiring one of the A’s hurlers, Avila said they’ve looked into making an impact acquisition via trade but expressed a desire “to be careful” in not parting with too much prospect talent. Montas, given his two years of control and superior numbers, would bring back more in return than would Manaea.

Speaking of top prospects, Avila addressed the status of Spencer Torkelson and Riley Greene. Both young hitters are among Baseball America’s top five overall minor league talents, and each had excellent late-season showings with Triple-A Toledo last year. Whether either of Torkelson or Greene will make the Opening Day roster is one of the biggest questions for the organization.

Avila denied that service time considerations would play a role in whether to carry those players out of camp. “When a player is ready to come up, and the team is ready to go, there’s no reason to hold a player back. I was not taught that way,” the GM said, via Petzold. “I also believe I’m not arrogant enough to think that I could hold a guy back and we’re going to get by and we’re going to make the playoffs anyway. You got to go full bore from Day 1. Those few games at the beginning could mean everything at the end. That’s the way I was taught. Our decision is going to be to put the best team on the field where we can win and get to the playoffs.”

To be clear, that’s not a formal declaration that either of Greene or Torkelson will break camp. Avila said the front office will “know it when we see it” when asked about when those players will be ready for their debuts. There’d seem to be a real opportunity for either to open the year on the MLB roster. Putting Torkelson at first could allow Jonathan Schoop to kick back to second base, which might otherwise be manned by Willi Castro or Harold Castro. Greene could be an option for either left or center field, where he’d presumably be complemented by Akil Baddoo and Robbie Grossman, with Víctor Reyes moving into a fourth outfield role.

Royals Interested In Frankie Montas

By | at

March 17: Even after signing Zack Greinke yesterday, the Royals are still discussing Montas trade scenarios with the A’s, tweets Alec Lewis of The Athletic.

March 16: The Royals, who just trimmed more than $7MM in payroll in their surprising Mike Minor trade, are among the teams pursuing Athletics right-hander Frankie Montas, tweets Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic. If Montas goes elsewhere, Rosenthal adds that the Royals still hope to add a veteran right-handed starter with some of their newfound payroll space.

Montas is among the most popular players remaining on the trade market, having been linked in recent days to the Twins, White Sox, Yankees and now the Royals. Other clubs are surely working diligently to pry the soon-to-be 29-year-old righty away from Oakland.

That’s hardly a surprise, given the Athletics’ clear willingness to trade veterans and the strong year Montas put together in 2021. Last year, the hard-throwing righty tossed 187 innings of 3.37 ERA ball while notching a strong 26.6% strikeout rate against a 7.3% walk rate. Projected by MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz to earn $5.2MM this coming season, Montas is controlled via arbitration through the 2023 campaign.

The Royals, as currently constructed, would be heavily reliant on a collection of talented but largely unproven young starters in a season where they hope to return to competitive status within a relatively weak AL Central division. Brad Keller is the team’s most veteran starter now that Minor has been moved, but he’s in need of a rebound after a career-worst performance in 2021. Brady Singer, Daniel Lynch, Carlos Hernandez, Kris Bubic, Jackson Kowar and Jonathan Heasley will all be in the mix for rotation opportunities, but of that group, only Singer has had much in the way of sustained MLB success — and even he is looking to rebound after something of a sophomore slump.

Kansas City, heartened by the looming debuts of ballyhooed prospects like Bobby Witt Jr., Nick Pratto, MJ Melendez and others, hope that the strength of their young core can help lift them in the standings. Acquiring Montas would substantially boost their chances of doing so, although the mere fact that they’re in pursuit of him serves as further indication that in spite of a mostly quiet offseason, the organization believes the window to compete is opening.

A’s Sign Billy McKinney To Minor League Deal

By | at

The Athletics announced their signing of outfielder Billy McKinney to a minor league pact. The deal includes an invitation to Major League Spring Training. It’s the third type of signing for Oakland today, after a waiver claim of Sheldon Neuse and a blockbuster trade with the Blue Jays.

Now 27-years-old, McKinney had a dizzying 2021 season in which he suited up for three different teams. Between the Brewers, Mets, and the Dodgers, the left-handed hitter slashed .192/.280/.358. Only his 39-game stint with the Mets yielded positive offensive results (110 OPS+), but McKinney still provided plus defensive value at both outfield corners and first base for his 2021 employers.

McKinney netted one more employer in 2021, as an offseason deal between LA and Texas saw the Dodgers deal McKinney and fellow outfielder Zach Reks for cash. The Rangers held onto Reks but non-tendered McKinney a week later, pushing the latter into free agency and teeing him up for today’s reunion with the team that selected him 24th overall in the 2013 amateur draft.

Now that Oakland is in full fire sale mode, McKinney stands a reasonable chance at claiming a spot on the team’s bench, with a chance for more given the in-flux state of the roster. While he’s yet to find much consistency at the major league level, McKinney’s age, pedigree, and Triple-A success suggest there’s still upside to be had for both player and club.

Show all

MLB Trade Rumors is not affiliated with Major League Baseball, MLB or MLB.com

hide arrows scroll to top