There's Still Time For the A's to Turn Things Around, But the Trade Deadline Looms

Heading into the month of May, the Athletics had picked up right where they left off in 2024, which is right around the .500 mark. They had ended the month of April 16-15, and would collect another two wins against the Texas Rangers to begin May, pushing them ever so close to first place in the AL West.

This month they have gone 7-19 with two games left, and have dropped all the way to fifth in the West. They enter play on Friday, May 30 eight games back in the division, 7.5 back in the Wild Card race, and three games back of the Los Angeles Angels for fourth. The A's have the third-worst record in the American League, ahead of just the Baltimore Orioles (19-36) and Chicago White Sox (18-38).

The team is on a brutal stretch right now, having lost 14 out of their past 15. This club still has talent, but there's a decent portion of the roster that is slumping. There have been numerous games where either the offense or the pitching turns things around, only for the other side to go cold.

Sometimes, like on Thursday night against the Toronto Blue Jays, both facets are cold, and it leads to an 11-0 loss that eats up a good chunk of the bullpen.

The A's need some fresh arms, but they've pretty much exhausted their options on the 40-man roster, and there are no clear upgrades available for a quick fix. The next month or so is going to be vital for the A's franchise, because there is still hope that they can turn things around this year and end up at around .500, but right now they're on pace to win 65 games, which is a step backwards from last year's 69-win team.

If the A's don't turn things around and continue to hover where they are at 11 games under .500, then they will be inclined to move pieces at the deadline, though there aren't many players on expiring contracts that would elicit a hefty return.

José Leclerc is currently on the IL, and it seems as though he'll be there for awhile. Gio Urshela is also on the IL, but should be able to return fairly soon from a hamstring injury. T.J. McFarland is another player on the IL, but he's a lefty specialist. Sean Newcomb was just re-acquired by the A's for cash considerations, so his trade value isn't terribly high.

One player that could net the A's a return could be Luis Urías. The 27-year-old veteran is in the midst of a career year, batting .248 with a .336 OBP and six home runs, leading to a 117 wRC+ (100 is league average). The return wouldn't be substantial, but it would be something.

The same would go for Miguel Andujar, who is having a solid year at the dish, batting .310 with a 115 wRC+, but he's a bit of a defensive liability and 80% of his hits have been singles. He's certainly not a bad addition to a roster, but he's more of a "keep the line moving" bat than an impact one.

Those are the only free agents that the A's will have heading into next year, and the guys that are on guaranteed contracts are all signed through the 2026 season (at least) as well.

This is where is gets interesting, however. The A's signed Luis Severino to the largest contract in franchise history over the offseason at three years (two years and a player option) and $67 million. He's owed $25 million next season and $22 million in 2027, if he picks up his option year. He's also pitched extremely well away from Sutter Health Park, holding a 0.87 ERA through 31 innings of work.

At home, he holds a 6.20 ERA, and has been vocal numerous times about the ballpark in West Sacramento not being a big league facility.

With the A's needing to set themselves up for the future, could they actually consider trading Severino? They'd receive a decent return for his services, especially if they ate some of the money owed to him, and they could re-allocate those funds elsewhere moving forward. In terms of team construction, it may not be the worst idea.

That said, Severino's signing was a statement that things have changed now that the A's have left Oakland, and that the team is ready to spend money to improve the roster and contend. Trading their ace halfway through his first season with the club would likely be more of a public relations hit that they're willing to take.

He's also arguably their biggest trade chip, outside of the cost-controlled pre-arb and arbitration guys. The question at hand would have to be what kind of a return the A's were looking at, and whether the front office felt that they would be better long-term with that return, plus some freed up funds to spend, or with Severino on board for next season and potentially 2027.

That option year throws a wrinkle into the process, since at next year's deadline an acquiring team may only get his services for a couple of months, but this trade deadline, they'd be getting him for at least a year and a half.

Then again, this will be perceived as the A's doing business as usual because he's on an expensive deal. There's not really a winning scenario here, but if the A's are focused on building for their potential Las Vegas ballpark and a 2028 debut in Sin City, then that's a year that Severino won't be under contract unless he signs a second deal with the club.

They need to make sure the team is a well oiled machine by that point, and if trading him helps the A's achieve that goal, then they may not have a choice but to take the PR hit.