The A’s have made several recent acquisitions of young players and veterans, most of whom should have some part with the team in 2023.
As we wrap up the busy season of holiday shopping, unsurprisingly the Oakland A’s have found themselves as some of the biggest sellers. So far this offseason, they traded away one of their last big pieces in catcher Sean Murphy. After so many superstars signed in free agency, the logical follow-up was a shift to the trade market, where the A’s are more involved.
The Athletics have recently made their move on several free agents however, including a major one to help bolster their bullpen. They also acquired five players in the three-team Sean Murphy trade, potentially including Murphy’s replacement. Here is a look at the key names acquired so far this offseason by one of the least talked about teams on the spending side of things.
Trevor May (RHP)
Acquisition: Signed to one-year, $7 million contract that includes a $1 million signing bonus.
Player Outlook: May, has been an asset to both the Minnesota Twins and New York Mets bullpens in a career that has stretched eight seasons. The 33-year-old last saw a major season of action in 2021. His breakout season however was 2019. That year he registered a 2.94 ERA with 11.05 strikeouts per nine innings while holding opponents to a .181 batting average. The Twins finished with a memorable 101-61 record, first place in the American League Central Division.
He throws a mid-90s fastball which has risen in velocity over the years. He will look to bounce back to his 2019 form as the team could possibly audition him to be the next closer. The team could not be more excited to have him to help rebuild the A’s chemistry, and perhaps guide them into their new era. He has already opened up about his excitement to be with the team according to NBC Sports.
Aledmys Diaz (SS, 3B, 2B)
Acquisition: Signed to two-year, $14.5 million contract.
Player Outlook: Versatility is the name of the game with Diaz. He started at six different positions last season. Diaz recorded a slash line of .243/.287/.403 with 12 home runs, while appearing in 92 games for the Houston Astros. With the Astros massive infield depth, the A’s capitalized on Diaz who can take his versatility to the everyday lineup. This is sort of like the role Chad Pinder played, but the hope is for a slight offensive upgrade. He could even be a future second baseman as not only has it been his most successful position throughout his career, but the status of Tony Kemp’s future after 2023 is unknown.
Jace Peterson (2B, 3B, OF)
Acquisition: Signed to a two-year, $9.5 million contract.
Player Outlook: Peterson is another player who provides versatility. The 32-year-old played at seven different positions last season with the Milwaukee Brewers, spending the majority of his time at third base. He has a career .320 on base percentage and added 12 stolen bases last season.
Kyle Muller (LHP)
Acquisition: Acquired from Atlanta Braves in the three-team Sean Murphy trade.
Player Outlook: Once one of the Braves top pitching prospects, Muller could have an immediate impact in the A’s rotation. He already has 11 MLB starts under his belt from 2021 and 2022. Muller boasts an above average fastball, slider and curveball. His fastball velocity can hit upper 90s according to MLB.com, but there are some concerns about his command. He did, however, improve on that last season in the minors. The 25-year-old southpaw had a solid season with the Triple-A Gwinnett Stripers, averaging 10.63 strikeouts per nine innings with a 3.41 ERA, in 134.2 innings pitched. Look for him to compete for a spot in the middle of the pitching rotation.
Manny Pina (C)
Acquisition: Acquired from Milwaukee Brewers in three-team Sean Murphy trade.
Player Outlook: Nicknamed “pineapple,” the 35-year-old will look to bring some major league experience to the team at the backstop position. Potentially a backup behind the highly touted youngster Shea Langeliers, Pina could expect some playing time given his experience. He has a career slash line of .243/.313/.409 with 42 home runs in 414 games. He has shown some promising framing ability. P finished in the top 15 among catchers in non-swing pitches converted into strikes in both 2019 and 2021.
Freddy Tarnok (RHP)
Acquisition: Acquired from Atlanta Braves in three-team Sean Murphy trade.
Player Outlook: Another top Braves prospect, Tarnok has an above average fastball and potential for an above average changeup. He bounced between Double-A and Triple-A last season. He showed some command of the strike zone with 10.46 strikeouts per nine innings. While he may not make an immediate impact like fellow prospect Muller, I wouldn’t count out the team using him at some point in the season given many of the roster uncertainties.
Royber Salinas (RHP)
Acquisition: Acquired from Atlanta Braves in three-team Sean Murphy trade.
Player Outlook: Salinas has not pitched above the high-A level in his career but has emerged as an international sensation. He has defied the cheap value of $35K the Braves signed him for in the international signing period according to MLB.com. He has displayed an upper 90s fastball and strong slider. While he may have some command struggles, his high strikeout rates and quick arm may land the 27-year-old out of Venezuela in the majors with a little more work.
Esteury Ruiz (OF)
Acquisition: Acquired from Milwaukee Brewers in three-team Sean Murphy trade.
Player Outlook: Ruiz’s two biggest assets look to be speed and raw power. He has seen major league action with Brewers and Padres, appearing in 17 games with 35 at bats where he has recorded six hits. He swiped 85 bags last season in the minors. While his slugging numbers have gone up and down over the years in the minors, he has shown some improvements from his high strikeout percentage early on. The team has some holes to fill with their outfield depth and Ruiz could very well fill one of them.
Drew Rucinski (RHP)
Acquisition: Signed to one-year, $3 million contract.
Player Outlook: Rucinski spent the last four seasons in the Korean Baseball Organization after pitching in the majors in four different seasons with the Los Angeles Angels, Minnesota Twins and Miami Marlins. Rucinski is expected to compete for a starting job. In four seasons with the NC Dinos in the KBO, he went 53-36 with a 3.06 ERA and 657 strikeouts in 732⅔ innings pitched. Oakland has been a place for pitchers to begin to establish themselves as major-league worthy. While Rucinski has not produced strong numbers at the MLB level yet, this could very well be his time.
Team Outlook
With these recent free agent signings, the team rebuild is well underway as expected. While the team acquired lots of young promising pitching talent, there are still several offensive holes to fill, an area of particular struggle last season for the team. But if the Oakland A’s continue to be the organization where undervalued talent make their mark, this period of acquisitions could very well be a hugely impactful one for the team’s future.
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