Baseball - Oakland Athletics news

• A’s, Alejo Lopez Agree To Minor League Deal

  12-11-2024 16:43 via mlbtraderumors.com
  
  The Athletics have agreed to terms with infielder Alejo Lopez on a minor league contract, Lopez himself announced on Instagram. The former Reds infielder will presumably head to spring training as a non-roster invitee.
  Lopez, 28, has spent parts of three seasons in the big leagues, all coming with Cincinnati. He’s a .265/.309/.329 hitter in 181 major league plate appearances, showing little power but an excellent feel for contact. Lopez has fanned in only 14.9% of those trips to the plate
  
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• A’s Sign Ben Bowden To Minor League Deal

  22-12-2024 18:40 via mlbtraderumors.com
  
  The A’s have signed left-hander Ben Bowden to a minor league deal, according to the transactions tracker on Bowden’s MLB.com profile page.
  Bowden, 30, was a second-round pick by the Rockies in the 2016 draft. A pure relief prospect dating back to his days in the SEC, the lefty missed the 2017 due to shoulder injuries but was a fast riser in the club’s minor league system once he got going. He reached Triple-A by the end of his second full professional season after dominating th
  
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• A’s Sign Gio Urshela

  22-12-2024 18:02 via mlbtraderumors.com
  
  December 22: The A’s have officially announced Urshela’s deal with the club.
  December 21: According to Jon Heyman of the New York Post, Urshela’s deal with the Athletics guarantees him $2.15MM with an additional $400K available in incentives.
  December 19: The Athletics are in agreement with Gio Urshela on a free agent contract, reports Ken Rosenthal of the Athletic. Financial terms for the Rep 1 Baseball client aren’t reported. The signing is pending a physical. Mart
  
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• Rickey Henderson, Baseball’s Flamboyant ‘Man of Steal,’ Dies at 65

  21-12-2024 22:01 via nytimes.com
  Widely regarded as the greatest leadoff hitter in baseball history, he was not just one of the game’s most exciting players, but also one of its most eccentric.
  
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• Rickey Henderson Passes Away

  21-12-2024 20:26 via mlbtraderumors.com
  
  Baseball Hall of Famer and stolen base king Rickey Henderson has passed away. He was 65. Henderson’s friend and teammate Dave Winfield was among those to announce the tragic news, which was later confirmed by the New York Post.
  More to come…
  
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• A’s Agree To One-Year Deal With Gio Urshela

  20-12-2024 05:57 via mlbtraderumors.com
  
  10:57pm: Martín Gallegos of MLB.com reports that it’s a one-year deal, which seemingly confirms that it’ll be a big league contract.
  10:22pm: The Athletics are in agreement with Gio Urshela on a free agent contract, reports Ken Rosenthal of the Athletic. Financial terms for the Rep 1 Baseball client aren’t reported. The signing is pending a physical.
  If it’s an MLB contract, Urshela could get first crack at the third base job. A’s general manager David F
  
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• A’s Agree To Deal With Gio Urshela

  20-12-2024 04:32 via mlbtraderumors.com
  
  The Athletics are in agreement with Gio Urshela on a free agent contract, reports Ken Rosenthal of the Athletic. Financial terms aren’t reported. The signing is pending a physical.
  More to come.
  
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• MLBTR Podcast: Kyle Tucker To The Cubs, And Trades For Devin Williams And Jeffrey Springs

  18-12-2024 16:12 via mlbtraderumors.com
  
  The latest episode of the MLB Trade Rumors Podcast is now live on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and wherever you get your podcasts! Make sure you subscribe as well! You can also use the player at this link to listen, if you don’t use Spotify or Apple for podcasts.This week, host Darragh McDonald is joined by Anthony Franco of MLB Trade Rumors to discuss…The Cubs acquiring Kyle Tucker from the Astros for Isaac Paredes, Hayden Wesneski and Cam Smith (1:45)
  The Yankees a
  
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• Third Base Options For The A’s

  17-12-2024 22:38 via mlbtraderumors.com
  
  After largely sleepwalking through recent offseasons, the A’s have woken up ahead of their temporary move to West Sacramento with splashes both in the free-agent market and trade market. Luis Severino (three years, $67MM) and Jeffrey Springs (Joe Boyle, Will Simpson, Jacob Watters, Competitive Balance draft pick) now stand atop the rotation depth chart.
  Some of the maneuvering could be due to a desire to draw in fans from a new market. Some could be early groundwork to convince the eventua
  
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• A’s Looking To Add Third Baseman, “Wouldn’t Rule Out” Another SP Addition

  15-12-2024 00:49 via mlbtraderumors.com
  
  As the Athletics gear up to play the 2025 campaign in their temporary home of West Sacramento while waiting on a more permanent move to Las Vegas, they’ve made an effort to put a more competitive product on the field after showing signs of progress with a 32-32 record after the All-Star break during their final season in Oakland. Those efforts to bolster the roster started when they inked right-hander Luis Severino to a three-year deal and continued today when they landed left-hander Jeffr
  
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• Athletics Acquire Jeffrey Springs In Multi-Player Trade With Rays

  14-12-2024 19:50 via mlbtraderumors.com
  
  The Athletics and Rays have announced a multi-player trade that will see left-handers Jeffrey Springs and Jacob Lopez head to West Sacramento.  In return, the Rays will receive right-hander Joe Boyle, the Athletics’ pick in Competitive Balance Round A of the 2025 draft, and two minor league players in righty Jacob Watters and first baseman/outfielder Will Simpson.
  Considering how deep the Rays are in rotation options, Springs was viewed as a logical trade candidate this winter, as he
  
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• A’s Close To Acquiring Jeffrey Springs From Rays

  14-12-2024 18:06 via mlbtraderumors.com
  
  The Athletics and Rays are in the final stages of completing a multi-player trade that would involve Jeffrey Springs heading to the A’s, according to ESPN’s Jeff Passan (multiple links).  The A’s will receive Springs and another player, while the Rays will receive right-handers Joe Boyle and Jacob Watters, outfielder Will Simpson, plus the Athletics’ pick in Competitive Balance Round A of the 2025 draft.
  More to come….
  
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• MLBTR Podcast: Winter Meetings Recap

  13-12-2024 17:25 via mlbtraderumors.com
  
  The latest episode of the MLB Trade Rumors Podcast is now live on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and wherever you get your podcasts! Make sure you subscribe as well! You can also use the player at this link to listen, if you don’t use Spotify or Apple for podcasts.This week, host Darragh McDonald is joined by Tim Dierkes, Steve Adams and Anthony Franco of MLB Trade Rumors to discuss…The Mets signing Juan Soto (2:35)
  The Yankees to sign Max Fried (26:05)
  The Red Sox acquirin
  
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• 2024 Rule 5 Draft Results

  11-12-2024 20:35 via mlbtraderumors.com
  
  The 2024 Rule 5 draft took place this afternoon at the Winter Meetings in Dallas. The results of the draft are below.
  As a refresher, the Rule 5 draft is a way for players potentially talented enough for the big leagues but blocked by their current clubs to find opportunities elsewhere. Any players that were 18 and under at the time of their original signing and have played five professional seasons, and any players who signed at 19 years of age or older at signing that now have four professiona
  
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• Details On Max Fried Bidding

  11-12-2024 20:30 via mlbtraderumors.com
  
  1:30pm: A’s general manager David Forst denies that the club made a push for Fried, per Martín Gallegos of MLB.com (X link)
  11:55am: One of the top free agents came off the board this week when the Yankees and Max Fried agreed to a stunning eight-year, $218MM deal. Clubs like the Blue Jays and Red Sox were also known to be in the involved but Bob Nightengale of USA Today (X link) reports that the Athletics were “one of the most aggressive teams” in the bidding.
  Many fans
  
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• Athletics Reportedly Made Effort To Sign Max Fried

  11-12-2024 18:55 via mlbtraderumors.com
  
  One of the top free agents came off the board this week when the Yankees and Max Fried agreed to a stunning eight-year, $218MM deal. Clubs like the Blue Jays and Red Sox were also known to be in the involved but Bob Nightengale of USA Today (X link) reports that the Athletics were “one of the most aggressive teams” in the bidding.
  Many fans might roll their eyes at the idea of the A’s getting anywhere near a free agent of this caliber, which would be an understandable position
  
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• Athletics Risk MLBPA Grievance Without Further Payroll Increases

  10-12-2024 11:11 via mlbtraderumors.com
  
  As they look to ramp up payroll ahead of their impending move to Las Vegas, the Athletics inked right-hander Luis Severino to the largest deal in franchise history last week as they look to capture the attention of a new city during their temporary move to West Sacramento. With that being said, a report from Evan Drellich and Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic on Monday emphasized that getting fans into seats in 2025 isn’t the only motivation behind the club’s decision to increase spendin
  
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• Merv Rettenmund Passes Away

  09-12-2024 02:57 via mlbtraderumors.com
  
  Former big leaguer and longtime batting coach Merv Rettenmund passed away on Saturday at age 81.  Rettenmund played 13 seasons with the Orioles, Reds, Padres, and Angels from 1968-1980, then was a hitting coach for five different teams over parts of 19 seasons from 1983 to 2007.
  Rettenmund was a two-sport star in his college days at Ball State, and was even a 19th-round pick for the Dallas Cowboys in the 1965 NFL Draft.  Already signed to the Orioles, Rettenmund went on to make his big
  
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• Dick Allen, Dave Parker Elected To Baseball Hall Of Fame

  09-12-2024 01:41 via mlbtraderumors.com
  
  Dick Allen and Dave Parker were elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame, as revealed by the Classic Baseball Era committee tonight.  Parker (14 votes) and Allen (13) each received more than the minimum 12 of 16 votes necessary for induction.  Tommy John was the next-closest candidate with seven votes, and Ken Boyer, John Donaldson, Steve Garvey, Vic Harris and Luis Tiant each received fewer than five votes.
  Allen and Parker will be officially inducted to Cooperstown on July 27, along with
  
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• Athletics Interested In Contract Extension With Brent Rooker

  09-12-2024 00:08 via mlbtraderumors.com
  
  The A’s shocked by the baseball world by signing Luis Severino to a three-year, $67MM contract, as few expected the team to make a franchise-record signing in advance of their planned three-year stop in West Sacramento before moving into their new ballpark in Las Vegas.  The next step could be locking up a star player on an extension, as manager Mark Kotsay told reporters (including MLB.com’s Martin Gallegos) that the team was “hopeful to get something done with” Bre
  
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• Athletics Sign Luis Severino

  06-12-2024 17:02 via mlbtraderumors.com
  
  The A’s are ready to spend some cash, announcing Friday that they’ve signed free agent righty Luis Severino to a three-year deal — the third year of which is a player option. Severino, a client of Klutch Sports, will reportedly be guaranteed $67MM, to be paid out in the form of a $10MM signing bonus and $57MM in salary over the three seasons. He can opt out of the contract after year two and become a free agent once again in the 2026-27 offseason.It’ll register as a shock
  
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• A’s Also Made Offer To Sean Manaea

  06-12-2024 16:52 via mlbtraderumors.com
  
  The Athletics’ three-year, $67MM contract with Luis Severino stunned many baseball fans. As shown in MLBTR’s Contract Tracker, the West Sacramento-bound club hadn’t spent more than more than $15MM on a free agent since signing Ryan Madson to a three-year, $22MM deal nearly a decade ago. The $67MM guarantee stands as the largest in franchise history, surpassing Eric Chavez’s 20-year record by $1MM. The A’s had signaled that they might be willing to spend in free agen
  
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• Athletics To Sign Luis Severino

  05-12-2024 18:46 via mlbtraderumors.com
  
  The A’s and free agent righty Luis Severino are in agreement on a three-year, $67MM contract reports ESPN’s Jeff Passan. The deal includes a $10MM signing bonus and $57MM of salary over the three years, Yahoo’s Russell Dorsey adds. Severino can opt out after the second year of the contract, per Passan. Severino is represented by Klutch Sports.
  It’ll register as a shock for many to see the nomadic A’s, who will play next year in West Sacramento’s Sutter Health
  
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• Latest On Athletics’ Las Vegas Ballpark Plans

  02-12-2024 04:08 via mlbtraderumors.com
  
  The Las Vegas Stadium Authority Board is set to meet on Thursday, and several important elements of the Athletics’ plans to build a new ballpark in Vegas for the 2028 season will be addressed at the sessions.  Mick Akers of the Las Vegas Review-Journal (two links) has the details of the ballpark-related matters on the agenda, including letters regarding the financing of the project — the four letters are from the A’s themselves, owner John Fisher regarding his family&rsquo
  
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• MLBTR Podcast: Yusei Kikuchi, The Aggressive Angels, And The Singer/India Trade

  27-11-2024 16:49 via mlbtraderumors.com
  
  The latest episode of the MLB Trade Rumors Podcast is now live on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and wherever you get your podcasts! Make sure you subscribe as well! You can also use the player at this link to listen, if you don’t use Spotify or Apple for podcasts.This week, host Darragh McDonald is joined by Tim Dierkes of MLB Trade Rumors to discuss…The Angels having an agreement in place with Yusei Kikuchi (2:00)
  The Royals trading Brady Singer to the Reds for Jonat
  
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• Rico Carty Passes Away

  24-11-2024 17:24 via mlbtraderumors.com
  
  Former All-Star Rico Carty passed away yesterday, according to a report from Dominican newspaper Listin Diario. The 15-year MLB veteran was 85 years old.
  Born in San Pedro de Macoris, Carty signed with the then-Milwaukee Braves prior to the 1960 season as a catcher. During his time in the minor leagues, he converted to the outfield and, after a brief cup of coffee in 1963, emerged as the Braves’ regular left fielder during the 1964 season. In 133 games, Carty slashed an excellent .330/.388
  
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• American League Non-Tenders: 11/22/24

  22-11-2024 23:09 via mlbtraderumors.com
  
  The deadline to tender a contract to arbitration-eligible players is tonight at 7pm CT. Here’s a rundown of the players on American League teams that have been non-tendered today. This post will be updated as more decisions are revealed. MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz projected salaries for all players eligible for arbitration last month. All players who are non-tendered before this evening’s deadline go directly into free agency, where they’re eligible to sign with an
  
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• A’s Have Shown Interest In Walker Buehler

  22-11-2024 19:14 via mlbtraderumors.com
  
  The Athletics entered the 2024-25 offseason without a single guaranteed contract on the books for 2025 and a tiny arbitration class, putting them in an odd position. On the one hand, that leaves considerable resources to add to the roster, even by their minimal payroll standards. On the other, persuading free agents to sign with a club that’s going to play the next several seasons in a Triple-A park will be a tall order. The A’s apparently have indeed been out there in the market, as
  
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• Athletics, Seth Brown Avoid Arbitration

  20-11-2024 21:02 via mlbtraderumors.com
  
  The Athletics and first baseman/outfielder Seth Brown have avoided arbitration by agreeing to a one-year contract for the 2025 season, per a club announcement. The financial components of the deal have not yet been publicly announced.
  More to come.
  
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• Athletics Sign Matt Krook To Minor League Deal

  20-11-2024 05:03 via mlbtraderumors.com
  
  The Athletics signed left-handed pitcher Matt Krook to a minor league contract late last week, according to his transaction log on MLB.com. The 30-year-old elected free agency earlier this month.
  Eleven years ago, the Marlins selected Krook out of high school in Competitive Balance Round A of the 2013 draft. While he planned to sign a contract, the team discovered a left shoulder injury during his physical, and the two sides were unable to come to terms on a signing bonus. Things continued to go
  
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