Recently DFA'd Players Stick with A's

Aug 21, 2024; Oakland, California, USA; Oakland Athletics catcher Kyle McCann (52) during the fifth inning against the Tampa Bay Rays at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images | Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

Late last week, the Athletics designated both backup catcher Kyle McCann and right-hander Anthony Maldonado for assignment. They have both gone unclaimed on waivers and been outrighted to Triple-A Las Vegas.

While it's always a bit of a gamble to try and pass a player (or two) through waivers, this was actually pretty good timing by the A's front office in order to bolster the club's depth. McCann and Maldonado were DFA'd to bring in hard-throwing right-hander Elvis Alvarado and catcher Jhonny Pereda, who could have an impact on the club in 2025.

The reason this was good timing by the A's is that Spring Training is about to begin, so team's rosters are already packed to their 40-man limits. Injuries haven't begun to pile up yet, which means that there is no need for opposing clubs to be making additions if they're happy with their current crop of players.

The A's are trying to take a leap forward in 2025, so they wanted to make those incremental changes to help them scratch another win or two across the board this coming season.

Alvarado is a player type that the A's have had success with in the past. He holds a high strikeout rate (33.2%), but he also walked 17.8% of the batters he faced in Triple-A with the Miami Marlins last season. If the A's are able to get his command under control just a little bit, then he could be headed to Sacramento at some point in 2025, with the hope that he could be this year's version of Michel Otańez.

As for Maldonado, A's on SI spoke with him recently, and he knew that he'd have to perform in camp to make this team, and nothing has changed on that front. He's coming to camp with a new pitch mix, and will be ready to show the team what he has.

A number of fans were upset by McCann's DFA, but now that he has cleared waivers, he still has a shot to make the club out of camp and re-claim his role from last year behind Shea Langeliers as the A's backup catcher. He struggled in the second half, albeit in a small sample size, so he will have to show in camp that he has grown as a hitter.

There is also the possibility that the Athletics look to bring in a more seasoned backup option either via waiver claim or trade once spring is underway. The three current backup options, McCann, Pereda, and Willie MacIver, all have not played more than one season in the bigs. Perhaps one of the two new backstop options will impress in camp. Or maybe there will be a sneaky third option for the team to consider.