A's Sign Drew Steckenrider to Minor League Deal
A few days ago, Athletics Farm tweeted out that Drew Steckenrider had come to terms with the Oakland A's on a minor league deal that included an invite to Spring Training, but there was no confirmation from the team.
Today, Steckenrider is in A's camp as pitchers and catchers report, so it looks to be pretty official.
The 32-year-old right-hander has spent parts of five seasons in the big leagues with the Marlins, and most recently the Mariners. In 2021 he held a 2.00 ERA across 67.2 innings for Seattle with a WHIP just above one.
Last season his hits per nine hit a career-high of 13.2, nearly twice the mark he'd posted the year before. He held a 5.65 ERA in 14.1 Major League innings.
He's not a huge strikeout guy these days, but he's had success in the past when he's keeping the ball off the barrel of the bat. Hitting his spots is going to be key to him landing back in the big leagues in 2023.
The A's bullpen seems to be full, especially of right-handers, but if another trade is made, or someone goes down with an injury, there aren't a ton of full-time relievers waiting in the wings, so Steckenrider offers the A's some depth with a little bit of upside. He saved 14 games for Seattle in 2023.