A’s Sign Matt Davidson To Minor League Deal
The A’s announced today they’ve signed corner infielder Matt Davidson to a minor league contract. He’ll report to Triple-A Las Vegas. Oakland also agreed to a minor league deal with right-hander Jorge Juan, whom they’d released over the weekend.
Davidson began the season with the Diamondbacks, opening the year with their top affiliate in Reno. The big right-handed hitter blasted eight home runs in 11 games for the Aces, and the Snakes promoted him in late April. Davidson went yard in his first plate appearance of the season in the majors as well, but he went hitless in his other nine at-bats. The D-Backs designated him for assignment when active rosters were reduced last Monday. He cleared outright waivers but declined the assignment in favor of free agency.
While the 31-year-old will remain in the Pacific Coast League to start his A’s tenure, he presumably believes there’s a clearer path to another MLB job in Oakland than there’d been in the desert. The A’s have primarily relied on Sheldon Neuse, Kevin Smith and Seth Brown in the corner infield this season. Neuse has done well in spite of poor strikeout and walk numbers, but neither Smith nor Brown has gotten off to a good start. Davidson is a career .222/.292/.433 hitter in a bit more than 1000 MLB plate appearances.
Juan, 23, has yet to even reach Double-A. His contract was nevertheless selected last November as the A’s set their 40-man roster in preparation for the Rule 5 draft (which never ended up transpiring). Unfortunately, Juan has spent the entire 2022 season on the minor league injured list. Injured players can’t be outrighted, so the A’s could only remove him from the 40-man by releasing him or placing him on the MLB 60-day injured list (which would’ve required paying him the prorated portion of the $700K MLB minimum salary). The A’s chose to release him but brought him back on a non-roster deal after he cleared waivers.
A’s Designate Billy McKinney For Assignment
The A’s announced they’ve selected outfielder Luis Barrera onto the MLB roster. In a corresponding move, corner outfielder Billy McKinney has been designated for assignment.
Barrera was DFA himself during the season’s first week. He passed through outright waivers unclaimed and remained in the organization; a month later, he makes his return to the majors after getting off to a nice start with Triple-A Las Vegas. Over 101 plate appearances, the left-handed hitter owns a .286/.347/.473 line with three homers and a couple stolen bases. That’s a better showing — at least from a power perspective — than Barrera had with the Aviators last season, when he hit .276/.348/.393 with four homers in 96 games.
The 26-year-old Barrera has only six big league games under his belt, all of them coming last season. He’s an excellent runner with ample experience at all three outfield spots in the minor leagues. Bringing him back to the majors in place of McKinney affords manager Mark Kotsay a bit more defensive flexibility, although Oakland already has a pair of strong center fielders in Ramón Laureano and Cristian Pache.
Barrera also has a minor league option year remaining, meaning the A’s can bounce him between Oakland and Vegas for the rest of the season now that he’s back on the 40-man. That wasn’t the case for McKinney, who is out of options. That lack of roster flexibility has played a part in the 27-year-old bouncing throughout the league over the past year-plus.
A former Oakland first-rounder, McKinney also played in the Cubs’ system before breaking into the big leagues with the Yankees in 2018. Traded to the Blue Jays at that summer’s deadline, he spent a couple years with Toronto before changing hands frequently via waivers. McKinney suited up with each of the Brewers, Mets and Dodgers in 2021. He tallied a personal-high 300 plate appearances between the three clubs but hit just .192/.280/.358.
After the season, Los Angeles traded McKinney to the Rangers. Texas non-tendered him a week later, and he caught on with his original organization via minor league deal in Spring Training. McKinney broke camp but got off to a brutal .096/.158/.173 start over 57 plate appearances before the A’s decided to move on.
Oakland will have a week to trade McKinney or expose him to waivers. He has never passed through the waiver wire unclaimed in his career, but the extent of this year’s struggles could deter other clubs from taking a shot. Any team that acquired him would have to keep him on their active roster or designate him for assignment themselves. If McKinney were to clear waivers, he doesn’t have the requisite service time to refuse an outright assignment.
A’s Reinstate Ramon Laureano, Designate Jorge Juan
The Athletics have announced that outfielder Ramon Laureano has been reinstated from the restricted list after completing his 80-game suspension for testing positive for a performance-enhancing drug. To make room on the active roster, Stephen Piscotty has been placed on the 10-day injured list with a left calf strain. To create room on the 40-man roster, right-handed pitcher Jorge Juan was designated for assignment.
After debuting in 2018, Laureano was in the midst of a fourth consecutive season of quality production when he was served his suspension in August of last year. He missed the remainder of that season and the first month of this one due to a positive test for Nandrolone, a banned performance-enhancing substance.
That put Laureano’s career on pause, with him sitting on a career batting line of .263/.335/.465. That amounts to a wRC+ of 118 and, combined with his speed and excellent defense, has allowed him to produce 8.9 fWAR over 313 career games. He will now be able to get back into action and try to pick up where he left off as an all-around contributor.
Players who violate the MLB – MLBPA Joint Drug Agreement are placed on the restricted list and do not receive MLB service time for the duration of their suspension. That means Laureano has been sitting on three years and 14 days of service time since receiving his suspension in August of last year. Players are credited for a full year of service for spending 172 days on an MLB roster or injured list, meaning Laureano would need 158 days to reach the four-year mark by the end of this campaign. Oakland’s final game of the season is on October 5, which is 150 days from now. That means Laureano’s suspension will lead to his free agency being delayed by a year, until after the 2025 campaign.
A lot has changed for the organization during the span of the suspension. When it was first handed down, the A’s were in the midst of a playoff race. They eventually came up just short and then went into the offseason determined to cut payroll. Matt Olson, Matt Chapman, Chris Bassitt and Sean Manaea were all sent away in trades for younger and cheaper players. Whether you want to call it a rebuild or a retool or something else, the club is using 2022 as a year to evaluate some of these younger players and determine the next steps forward. They have a 10-17 record so far on the campaign.
Laureano’s status makes him something of an in-between player. The fact that he can be kept around for this season and then three more means that he could potentially be a part of the club’s return to competition down the line. On the other hand, he’s making $2.45MM this year (prorated to $2.033MM due to the suspension) and will continue to earn raises through arbitration in the years to come. For a team that frequently moves on from its players as they get more expensive, it’s possible that Laureano could find himself on the trading block just like his former teammates. Cristian Pache, acquired in the Olson trade, has been manning center field so far this year. He’s provided excellent defense but hasn’t done much with the bat, hitting .176/.195/.282 so far this year for a wRC+ of 41. Laureano is in right field today with Pache in center.
As for Juan, he was just selected to the club’s roster in November of last year. The 6’8″ 23-year-old has a penchant for racking up strikeouts but also struggles with command. Last year, he threw 26 2/3 innings in the minors with a 5.40 ERA, 35.4% strikeout rate and 11.5% walk rate. He has been on the minor league injured list this year and has yet to make his season debut. The nature and severity of his injury are not known, but injured players cannot be placed on outright waivers. That means that Oakland, if they cannot work out a trade, will have to place Juan on release waivers.
A’s To Place Stephen Piscotty On 10-Day Injured List
The Athletics will be placing outfielder Stephen Piscotty on the 10-day injured list due to a Grade 1 calf strain, manager Mark Kotsay told reporters (including MLB.com’s Martin Gallegos). Piscotty suffered the injury while running the bases in Friday’s game, and had to be removed in the second inning.
Due to an earlier stint on the COVID-19 list, Piscotty has played in only 14 games this season, hitting .225/.340/.325 over his 47 plate appearances. With a 105 wRC+/106 OPS+, Piscotty is one of the few batters with above-average offensive production for the struggling A’s, though the outfielder hasn’t produced much at the plate over the previous three seasons. Injuries have hampered Piscotty in that time and he’ll now make another trip to the IL, though if there is any silver lining, a Grade 1 is the least-serious type of calf strain.
The A’s will have a ready-made replacement for Piscotty in the outfield, as Ramon Laureano is eligible to be reinstated to the active roster tomorrow. Laureano was issued an 80-game PED suspension last August, so he missed the remainder of the 2021 season and the first 27 games of this season. It isn’t quite a sure thing that Laureano is activated, however, as he has only a .462 OPS over 44 PA since beginning a Triple-A rehab assignment two weeks ago — Oakland might opt to give Laureano a bit more of a tune-up period in the minors before bringing him back to Major League action.
A’s Place Cole Irvin On Injured List
6:35pm: Irvin has shoulder tendinitis, manager Mark Kotsay told reporters (including Matt Kawahara of the San Francisco Chronicle). Kotsay isn’t ruling out the possibility of Irvin returning when first eligible on May 17.
12:55pm: The Athletics announced this afternoon that starting pitcher Cole Irvin has been placed on the 15-day injured list, retroactive to May 2, due to soreness in his throwing shoulder. Fellow southpaw Zach Logue has been recalled from Triple-A Las Vegas to take his spot on the active roster. Martín Gallegos of MLB.com tweets that Logue is expected to start this evening’s game in Minnesota.
Irvin’s shoulder soreness cropped up between starts during the week. The still-nebulous diagnosis and lack of a timetable provided by the team leave it unclear how long he’ll be sidelined. Irvin will miss at least a couple starts, though, as the return of the 15-day IL for pitchers is now in effect after being suspended for the first month of the season.
Acquired from the Phillies over the 2020-21 offseason for cash considerations, Irvin has stepped directly into the A’s rotation and proven a nice find. He made 32 starts and tossed 178 1/3 innings last year, posting a reasonable 4.24 ERA in spite of a lack of velocity or swing-and-miss stuff. Throughout his minor league career, he’d demonstrated excellent control. That strike-throwing prowess has carried over to the majors, as Irvin walked a meager 5.5% of batters faced. His pitch-to-contact style played better in front of an excellent A’s defense and in Oakland’s cavernous home ballpark than it had in Philadelphia, where he’d gotten terrible results in limited action between 2019-20.
The 28-year-old Irvin got off to another solid beginning this year. Through five starts, he owns a 2.93 ERA in 27 2/3 innings despite a subpar 15.9% strikeout rate. He’s again thrown plenty of strikes and seen an early uptick in ground-balls relative to last year. While he’s sidelined, the A’s will need to plug a rotation spot behind Frankie Montas, James Kaprielian, Daulton Jefferies and Paul Blackburn.
Adam Oller, acquired from the Mets in the Chris Bassitt trade this past offseason, has been the top rotation depth candidate in the early going. He’s not fared well in his first three MLB appearances, though, and he tossed three innings with Las Vegas on Tuesday after being optioned out.
Like Oller, Logue was acquired as part of the A’s Spring Training sell-off. The 26-year-old was one of four players sent from the Jays in the Matt Chapman deal. He made his MLB debut in relief last month but will now get his first big league start. Over four starts with the Aviators, he has a 5.63 ERA in 16 innings.
Athletics Outright Austin Allen
Catcher Austin Allen has cleared waivers and been outrighted to Triple-A Las Vegas, the Athletics announced. He will remain with the organization but will no longer occupy a spot on the 40-man roster.
Allen originally had his contract selected for the first time when he was a Padre, before the 2019 season. He saw limited big league action that year and then was traded to Oakland as part of the Jurickson Profar deal. He’s appeared in the majors in four seasons now, but only has 57 games on his ledger, hitting .195/.252/.288 in that time.
Having exhausted his option years, Allen could no longer be sent to the minors without clearing waivers first. It seemed possible that a team in need of some help behind the plate could have taken a shot on him, given his .323/.365/.623 line in Triple-A for his career. Instead, he will have to return to that level and try to earn his way back into a roster spot, as he didn’t have the requisite service time to reject an outright assignment.
For the A’s, their catching corps now consists of Sean Murphy and Christian Bethancourt at the big league level. Should either of those two get hurt, Allen will be available as depth. Stephen Vogt is also on the injured list and could re-enter the mix at some point. A’s fans will also be looking forward to the eventual promotion of prospect Shea Langeliers. Acquired in the Matt Olson trade, Langeliers is off to a booming start with his new organization. In 22 Triple-A games this year, he’s hit 10 home runs and is slashing .325/.432/.738 overall, producing a 187 wRC+.
A’s Activate Lou Trivino From Injured List
The Athletics announced this afternoon they’ve activated reliever Lou Trivino from the COVID-19 injured list. Infield prospect Nick Allen, who was promoted as a designated COVID substitute when Trivino went on the IL, has been returned to Triple-A Las Vegas in a corresponding move. (Martín Gallegos of MLB.com suggested last night that both moves were likely).
Trivino made four appearances before landing on the IL. He was a workhorse last year, tossing 73 2/3 innings of 3.18 ERA ball while collecting 22 saves. He’ll presumably step back into the ninth inning mix now that he’s again healthy. Trivino, who is making $3MM this season and controllable through 2024 via arbitration, could find himself as a midseason trade candidate if the A’s fall out of contention.
Allen, one of the better prospects in the Oakland system, made his first eight MLB appearances. He collected four hits and a pair of walks in 19 at-bats and will now head back to Las Vegas. The A’s had selected Allen onto their 40-man roster last November to keep him from being taken in the Rule 5 draft. He’ll continue to occupy a spot on the 40-man.
That isn’t the case for Drew Jackson, whom the club also reinstated from the COVID-19 IL and returned to Las Vegas. Jackson was also brought up as a COVID substitute last month, but unlike Allen, he wasn’t previously on the 40-man roster. The 28-year-old quickly contracted the virus himself and landed on the IL after appearing in just three games. Now that he’s healthy, he’ll lose his 40-man spot and head back to Las Vegas. The A’s 40-man roster is full, although they’ll need to create a vacancy for Ramón Laureano if he returns from his suspension when first eligible on May 8.
Athletics Designate Austin Allen For Assignment, Outright Mickey McDonald
The A’s announced they’ve designated catcher Austin Allen for assignment. Reliever Jake Lemoine was also optioned to Triple-A Las Vegas as the team trimmed its active roster count from 28 to 26. Additionally, Oakland announced that outfielder Mickey McDonald, who was designated for assignment over the weekend, has cleared waivers and been sent outright to Las Vegas.
Like most of the players who have been DFA in recent days, Allen is out of minor league option years. That meant Oakland was left to either carry him on the active roster or take him off the 40-man and risk losing him to another club. With the roster cutdown necessitating sending two players out, the A’s have decided on the latter course of action.
Oakland acquired Allen from the Padres over the 2019-20 offseason in the deal that sent utilityman Jurickson Profar to San Diego. He has been on the 40-man roster in the two and a half years since then, although he’s only tallied 56 MLB plate appearances over 23 games. The lefty-hitting backstop spent most of the 2020 campaign at the alternate training site, then spent the bulk of last year at Las Vegas.
Stashing Allen as minor league depth wasn’t an available course of action this time around. He spent a few days on the restricted/COVID-19 lists but otherwise has been on the active roster, primarily as the #3 catcher. Sean Murphy is the obvious #1 backstop in Oakland. Christian Bethancourt, who signed a minor league deal and was selected to the majors when Allen hit the restricted list, has gotten into 13 games between catcher, first base and designated hitter; Allen has suited up just five times, an indication that Bethancourt had surpassed him as the #2 option. Veteran Stephen Vogt is currently on the injured list with a knee sprain but will be in that mix once he’s healthy.
Allen, 28, has only mustered a .195/.252/.288 line with a 37% strikeout rate in 127 MLB plate appearances. He’s never really had an extended opportunity to settle in, though, with his 34 games for San Diego in 2019 marking a career-high. The Missouri native has a massive .323/.365/.623 line in nearly 600 Triple-A plate appearances, including a .317/.351/.584 mark with the Aviators last year.
Vegas’ extreme hitter-friendly environment no doubt played a role, but it’s possible Allen’s strong minor league resume will convince another team to take a look. Prospect evaluators have generally not been enthused with his defense, but a team that views him as a capable gloveman behind the dish could be willing to devote him a roster spot as a bat-first depth option. Oakland will have a week to trade Allen or try to run him through waivers.
McDonald made his MLB debut last month, tallying six plate appearances over four games. He didn’t collect a hit but drew a pair of walks. McDonald has never previously been outrighted, so he’ll have to report back to Las Vegas and try to earn another look in the big leagues. The 26-year-old hit .333/.423/.438 in 228 Triple-A plate appearances last season, but he’s struggled in ten games there this year.
Athletics Activate James Kaprielian
The Athletics announced that they have activated right-handed pitcher James Kaprielian from the injured list, with fellow righty Adam Oller being optioned to make room on the active roster.
Selected by the Yankees with the 16th overall pick in the 2015 draft, Kaprielian was sent to Oakland in the deal that made Sonny Gray a Yankee. He made his MLB debut in 2020, getting a cup of coffee that last 3 2/3 innings. Last year, he was able to throw 119 1/3 innings with a 4.07 ERA, 24.5% strikeout rate and 8.2% walk rate. He spent some time on the IL with issues in his throwing shoulder and began this season on the shelf due to irritation in that shoulder again.
Over the offseason, the A’s shipped out a number of their veteran players, cutting costs and clearing the roster for cheaper players like Kaprielian. Tommy John surgery slowed his journey from through the minors, meaning that he now has just over one year of MLB service time. Now 28 years old, he won’t qualify for arbitration until after the 2023 season at the earliest. With Chris Bassitt and Sean Manaea having already been dealt and a Frankie Montas deal rumored to be next, pitchers like Kaprielian will be important for Oakland to build the rotation back up again. Other than Montas, the rotation currently consists of other pre-arbitration hurlers like Paul Blackburn, Daulton Jefferies and Cole Irvin.
Oller is also a part of that picture and will likely get another call to the bigs at some point. His first taste of MLB action didn’t go smoothly, however, as he has an ERA of 11.17 through his first 9 2/3 innings. Acquired in the Bassitt deal, he’ll head down to Triple-A Las Vegas and try to get some better results in preparation of the next big league opportunity.
A’s Claim Domingo Tapia From Royals, Designate Mickey McDonald For Assignment
The A’s have claimed right-hander Domingo Tapia off of waivers from the Royals and optioned him to Triple-A Las Vegas, the team announced. To make room on the 40-man roster, the Athletics designated Mickey McDonald for assignment.
Tapia, 30, has not appeared with the Royals this season. He appeared with the Royals, Mariners, and Red Sox over the past two seasons, however. Tapia owns a career 2.61 ERA over 38 innings between the three teams, notching most of that experience with the Royals last season.
McDonald, 27, has walked twice but failed to notch a base hit in his first six plate appearances. The switch-hitter doesn’t hit for power, but he did put together a .305/.402/.390 line in 430 plate appearances with Double-A and Triple-A last season. He’s likely to pass through waivers and return to the A’s Triple-A affiliate in Las Vegas.