It was to be a new beginning. After 57 years in Oakland, the Athletics ended their tenure in the Bay with a whimper, finishing 69-93 before unceremoniously departing the Oakland Coliseum. As they moved to their temporary home in Sacramento, the A’s spent some real money for the first time in recent memory, extending Brent Rooker and Lawrence Butler while inking Luis Severino to the largest contract in team history.
The A’s got off to a promising start, winning 20 of their first 36 games to keep pace in a wide-open AL West. But the wheels fell off pretty quickly after that, and they are 21 games under .500 from May 5th onward. While the A’s offense has hung around league average, their pitching has unraveled, allowing a league-worst 481 runs. That’s 79 more runs than Baltimore, the next-worst AL team, so not exactly a winning formula. Owner John Fisher could take the A’s out of Oakland but, apparently, could not take them out of the cellar.
Of course, as is usually the case with underperforming teams, the A’s have some intriguing pieces to shop at this year’s trade deadline. It’s not a bounty of riches, to be sure. But there are some players currently languishing in Sacramento who could provide a boost to a contender and augment the team’s farm system with an eye to the future. Fisher participated in a groundbreaking (of sorts) for their planned stadium in Las Vegas this Monday alongside franchise legends like Rollie Fingers and Dave Stewart, emphasizing the team’s momentum towards a rebuild.
On the position player side, Luis Urías is having a quietly strong campaign. After stints in San Diego, Milwaukee, Boston, and Seattle, the journeyman is still just 28 and provides versatility; while he’s spent most of the year at second, Urías also has extensive experience at third and short. His bat has been 10 percent above league average by wRC+ and, with the veteran set to hit free agency after the season, the A’s should be motivated to move him.
Another A’s infielder on an expiring deal will be more familiar to Yankees fans. Signed for a one-year, $2.15 million deal this offseason, Gio Urshela has struggled mightily in the green and gold, posting a .651 OPS while grading out poorly at third. Still, his experience and defensive flexibility could pique the interest of a contender, either on a minor deal or as a throw-in to a larger one. Another familiar face, Miguel Andujar, is also out in Sactown, albeit with a league-average bat, an oblique strain that has him on the IL, and not much else.
The biggest bat the A’s could consider moving is Brent Rooker. The primary DH has established himself as one of the game’s best pure hitters over the last three seasons, registering an .866 OPS and 144 OPS+.
The 30-year-old is under team control through 2029 via the extension he signed just this past offseason, though, meaning a team would likely have to make an offer the A’s couldn’t refuse to pry him free. Again, that probably won’t be the Yankees since they already have multiple DH types.
Another “make me an offer I can’t refuse” guy is the A’s most valuable trade chip on the other side of the ball. Mason Miller was one of the most exciting breakout stars across baseball last season. After overcoming a diabetes diagnosis that threatened to derail his career before it began, Miller was an All-Star as a rookie, punching out 104 in 65 innings on the strength of a fastball that regularly reached triple digits. Several pundits questioned whether the struggling A’s should trade their new closer straight away, striking while the iron was hot to maximize their return.
The A’s held onto Miller, a decision they may come to regret. That’s because he has a 4.85 ERA through 29.2 innings this year, more than a two-run jump over last season. The right-hander is still lighting up radar guns and striking out the world, but his walk rate has ballooned and he’s allowing much more hard contact. Still, opponents are hitting just .183 against him and his expected ERA — 3.11 — implies he’s run into some bad luck. The A’s would be loathe to move a hurler of Miller’s talent for anything less than a king’s ransom.
A more likely trade target lies in their rotation. After a slow start, Jeffrey Springs has pitched to a 3.53 ERA since start of May. Now 32, the crafty lefty is under club control through next year with a $15 million team option for 2027, making him an intriguing long-term play for a team in need of pitching (see: all of them). The durability is a question mark though, as he was limited to 10 starts in total between 2023 and ‘24 after his 2022 breakout in Tampa Bay.
The A’s also have an assortment of veteran relievers, none of whom have been terribly effective but any of whom could provide some depth on a flier. Tyler Ferguson has a 6.42 ERA but was an effective piece out of the bullpen as a 30-year-old rookie last year. Same for the left-handed journeyman T.J. McFarland. Sean Newcomb is another veteran lefty who’s looked sharp in relief since coming over from Boston in May. Probably the A’s most valuable relief arm this side of Miller is Hogan Harris, who was dominant last year and has been solid so far this year. Like McFarland and Newcomb, Harris is a lefty, something many teams (including the Yankees) will be actively seeking.
Whether or not the Yankees think there could be a trade to be worked out with the A’s, they’ll get an up-close look at them this weekend in the Bronx. The only bummer for the fans watching is that there’s not a chance in hell that likely AL All-Star starting shortstop/Rookie of the Year frontrunner Jacob Wilson is available. Alas.