A's players that are out of options as spring training begins
Spring training is finally here! Today, pitchers and catchers will be descending to A's camp, and in under a week we'll get a full squad workout. In just over a week games begin. It's baseball season.
Over the next six weeks the Oakland A's Opening Day roster could change a few times, but it'll be important to know which players are out of options entering the 2024 season for those building their own rosters at home.
This year the A's have five players that are out of options, which means that they will need to be on the 26-man roster or be subject to waivers. Technically there are a few other players that are out of options like Paul Blackburn, Carlos Pérez, and Vinny Nittoli, but Blackburn will be on the roster if he's healthy, and Pérez and Nittoli are in camp on minor-league deals. Their options only come into play if they are added to the 40-man roster first.
So who are these five guys? Let's take a look.
Newcomers Abraham Toro and Miguel Andújar are two of the new faces that are looking to make a good first impression, and both are out of options. Right now, Toro is projected as the A's third baseman, though he only spent nine games in the big leagues with Milwaukee last season. He homered twice, drove home nine runs, and went 8-for-21 (.444) in his limited time. In 96 minor league games he hit .291 with a .374 on-base, eight homers, 58 RBI, and eight steals.
Andújar is more likely to be a platoon bat in the outfield. The right-hander hasn't played more than 45 games in the majors since his breakout season in 2018, though in his 30 games last year with the Pirates he upped his walk rate to 6.7% and cut his strikeouts down to an impressive 14.4%, nearly the lowest of his career. He went 21-for-84 (.250) last season with four homers, 18 rbi, and a pair of stolen bases. In 103 minor league games, the 28-year-old batted .338 with a .404 OBP and 16 bombs.
Luis Medina is the first player without options that could be in jeopardy of not making the roster, though his situation could help him land a spot, at least initially. Still just 24, Medina held a 5.42 ERA last season in 23 games (17 starts) spanning 109 2/3 innings. His 11.5% walk rate was an improvement for the right-hander, but still a bit above the 8.6% league average. He showed flashes last year, but the determining factor for him could be if the coaching staff and front office are buying those bursts long-term. If he doesn't make the roster, expect him to be traded instead of trying to sneak him through waivers. He'll be vying for a spot in the A's rotation.
The final two players are both left-handers, and potentially the only southpaw options in the A's bullpen. The first is Sean Newcomb, an MLB veteran that has made appearances in the big leagues every season since 2017. He's entering his age 31 campaign and coming off of a pair of knee surgeries, but if he's ready to go, he shouldn't have any issue making the club.
The final player that's out of options is Kyle Muller, and he will be a very interesting player to keep an eye on. He came to the A's as part of the return package for Sean Murphy last winter and struggled mightily over the course of the season, posting a 7.60 ERA in 77 innings. He also held a 7.26 ERA in 62 innings in Triple-A where a quarter of the fly balls he allowed went over the fence. Working as a reliever he was a bit better, holding a 5.82 ERA in 17 innings. He's not really in contention for a spot in the rotation, so his road to the roster is in relief.
This year he's projected for a 4.67 ERA according to ZiPS, which would be a huge improvement and a reason to keep him around to see what else he has in store. While it would be great to have two lefties in the bullpen, Muller may be someone that could slip through waivers given his struggles. However, there are often analytically advanced teams that see something in certain pitchers and are able to add just about anyone it seems and turn them into a highly effective weapon.
As camp begins, all five players would be on my Opening Day roster to give them at least a chance to prove themselves one more time at the big-league level. For now, we'll see how they look in spring games.