Why Michael Wacha Could Be of Trade Interest for Athletics

There have been a lot of unfortunate circumstances that have taken the A's from being in first place in the AL West and playoff contenders to now sitting towards the bottom of the American League.

A big blow for the A's was losing their superstar catcher, Shea Langeliers, for the rest of the season. Langeliers served as the AL's starting catcher in the All-Star Game this summer in Philadelphia.

Sep 24, 2025; West Sacramento, California, USA; Athletics catcher Shea Langeliers (23) is congratulated by Athletics designated hitter Brent Rooker (25) after hitting a home run against the Houston Astros in the seventh inning at Sutter Health Park. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The team has also been without their superstar slugger, Brent Rooker, for a while now, and he will also be out for the season. These two key injuries have contributed to the team's recent decline.

Just because it feels like the team might not make a push for the playoffs this season, don't count them out of making some moves to improve their pitching staff for next season. Gaining familiarity with Sutter Health Park this season to get ready for a playoff-hopeful season next year. We talked about how Sandy Alcantara fits in that mold.

Michael Wacha Should Still Interest the A's

Jul 14, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Kansas City Royals pitcher Michael Wacha (52) pitches during the fourth inning for the All-Star Game at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Ross-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Royals' flash sale is starting to take shape after the team dealt Lane Thomas to the Braves, which caused the team to remove him from Saturday's contest. He left the field getting hugs from teammates as the trade was announced.

The next player the Royals could deal is All-Star starting pitcher Michael Wacha. Wacha has been great for Kansas City this season and currently holds a 3.51 ERA in an American League-leading 138.1 innings pitched.

Michael Wacha's last 4 starts:

23.2 IP | 3.8 ERA | 1.14 WHIP
20 K | 7 BB

Season Stats:

138.1 IP
111 K
3.51 ERA | 1.16 WHIP | 7.22 K/9#FountainsUp pic.twitter.com/62B3DwYq0b
— PaceBall (@paceball__) August 1, 2026

Since the Royals feel they are a lot of pieces away from being contenders, retooling their farm system right now feels like a good idea. Holding onto Wacha when he's 35 and still under contract probably isn't smart, considering it might be 3+ years until they contend.

It's a tough pill to swallow for them, considering Bobby Witt Jr. is in his prime. Since the A's could be close to contention, they could be a perfect fit to be their new ace.

Other Royals Should Interest the A's

May 14, 2026; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Kansas City Royals starting pitcher Kris Bubic (50) delivers a pitch against the Chicago White Sox during the first inning at Rate Field. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

For a while now, we've been discussing that Kris Bubic and maybe even Seth Lugo could be options to bolster the A's rotation.

Unfortunately, since the original news of the A's having interest in Kris Bubic, there has been no other news. However, now that the deadline is just a day away, it's going to be interesting to see if any of the Royals' arms will get dealt.

Kris Bubic, 93mph Paint. pic.twitter.com/z3OJBHuK3s
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) May 8, 2025

If the A's can put together a better pitching staff, expect to see them have a chance to win the division next season, assuming they can stay healthy.

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