A.J. Causey Talks Trade From Kansas City Royals to A's, New Pitch Grips

Last week the A's ended up trading Mitch Spence to the Kansas City Royals after they had designated him for assignment a couple of days prior, and in exchange for the veteran right-hander, the green and gold brought back sidewinder A.J. Causey.

The 23-year-old righty is already in A's camp, though he's still learning names and shaking hands. Last season he appeared in 48 games between High-A and Double-A, holding a cumulative 1.72 ERA across 73 1/3 innings with a 0.90 WHIP. He also locked down nine saves and didn't allow a single home run all year, which is incredibly impressive.

After one year in the minor leagues, Causey is excited to be with the A's, but as far as where he'll end up beginning the season in 2026, he's just hoping to be consistent this spring, and let everything take care of itself.

Here are some of the highlights from Athletics on SI's conversation with the newest Athletics' player.

A's on SI: First things first, how did you hear about the trade that would be sending you from the Royals, who had just drafted you in 2024 to the A's?

A.J. Causey: "I'd recently had a meeting with our manager, GM and our head pitching coordinator, because it was like our second day of big league springs training. They had a meeting with each one of the non-roster guys. It was basically just about being invited big league stream training, it's all the same deal and all that.

"And then I was getting ready to throw my live BP, and I was in the training room, and our manager came in and was like, 'hey, AJ, can you come here?' I was like, 'What could this be about? We already talked. I guess it's about my live. BP, and then I walked into the office and just the GM and him, no pitching guys.

"I knew it immediately. I was like, I just got traded. I just didn't know to who. But yeah, I was kind of excited when I heard he was the Athletics. [laughing] Yeah, I guess I'm not throwing my live BP anymore."

A's On SI: Guess you had a little more for when you reported [to A's camp]. Just to confirm, you have reported, yes?

Causey: "Yeah, it was the next day I was in Mesa."

A's On SI: When you get traded in camp, do you have to look for a new place, or do you just drive the extra bit to the new camp?

Causey: "It's kind of up to the player. Like ours, as of right now, it's probably gonna be kind of impossible for me to find a place to stay the whole time. They were able to get me into the team hotel out here, but we still have our place in Surprise. I'm trying to figure out what to do with that at the moment."

A's On SI: What are your first impressions of the organization? Obviously it's only been a handful of days, but you have a brand new set of teammates and guys that you're going to be coming up with through the system.

Causey: "Yeah, first impressions are good! Like, everything's relaxed. Go out there, have fun. Do what you do. I really like it. I've already started making some friends. Guys are really nice. A bunch of guys have come up to me and introduced themselves. Even a couple of guys have helped me with different pitch grips. It's been really cool. I really like it."

A's On SI: Who's approaching you with pitch grips?

Causey: "Matt [Krook] and Joel [Kuhnel]. It's just like, talking about different things, whether it's a four seam or a slider, like 'this will make it do this, this will make it do that.' It's kinda cool, because more veteran guys like that I haven't really had an opportunity to really talk to anyone like that before."

A's On SI: In college you were going four innings fairly often, and in your first year in pro ball you were sitting between one and two inning outings. Have you talked about what your role with the A's will be in the minors?

Causey: "We have not had that conversation yet. I think right now, they're just kind of going to get a feel for me."

A's On SI: Last season you didn't allow any home runs. When did you take note of that over the course of the year?

Causey: "Honestly, might have known the whole time."

A's On SI: First two outs of the season, you're like 'no home runs! I'm on a roll!'

Causey: "When I got called up to Arkansas, I was like, happy that I didn't give up a home run in High-A. Then, yeah. I mean, I don't really think about it when I'm on the mound, but, I was aware of it probably, I would say, at least, the second half of the season."

A's On SI: Obviously home runs weren't a big issue for you last season, but what were some of the challenges that you were facing in your first season as a professional?

Causey: "I'd say consistency with some of my pitches. I was trying to learn some new pitches. Yeah, and then, I guess, getting used to professional batters and just how they're different. But I would say more so just consistency with newer pitches and then old ones.

A's On SI: How have you been doing with finding your routine and what works for you? That's that's a big one that you hear in the A's clubhouse all the time, is just finding that routine and getting into that rhythm.

Causey: "It was definitely different going from like, in Tennessee, I was, treated like a starter. I would just come out of a bullpen, but I'd have the starter warm-up and the starter routine.

Last year I was back to the reliever role, which I kind of enjoy a little bit more. But, yeah, it definitely changes the routine. I would, I would say I have a pretty good one that I've found just over the course of my career."

A's On SI: Were you used on certain days of the week in the minors last year, so that you knew like 'it's Tuesday, I'm going to be pitching here' or was it more like when your name is called you've got to get ready?

Causey: "Kind of both. I had a good feel for it. Towards the end of when I was in Iowa and High-A, it always high leverage situations or a closing situation. I knew if we were up by one, I'm probably going to go in.

And then when I first got to Arkansas, it was more just they threw me in, like, I was the first reliever they used that went two innings. So I was, okay, this is gonna be different. But as time went on, it kind of turned a little bit into the same thing.

I'd also be on back-to-back to back at one point. It was mostly, I felt like it was either Tuesday or Wednesdays, and then I'd throw again. Towards the end of my [run] at Arkansas, I was throwing two innings, and then another two innings towards the way of the week."

A's On SI: I believe I heard that you were working on a cutter that the Royals introduced you to. Is that the correct pitch?

Causey: We worked both on a four-seam and a cutter. We scrapped the cutter, I guess towards the end of the season, because it didn't really work in Arkansas.

A's On SI: And the cutter is continuing to be scrapped, but the four-seamer is sticking around?

Causey: As of now, yes. We haven't really talked yet. I'm just continuing with what I do for now, but we haven't had any conversations about that yet.

A's On SI: How does your four-seamer work? You don't have upper echelon velocity, but you do throw from the side. Is it just getting the movement right? Is it getting the placement right? What are you working on with the four-seam?

Causey: "So it was actually kind of funny. We hadn't really gotten far with the four-seam with the Royals, and then, like, during the last bullpen with the Royals, we were like, okay, we're just gonna not throw it a lot, like, 5% of the time.

"Just kind of use it off my other stuff and [to have] something to be able to throw up in the zone. I'm excited to talk to people to see what they have to think about it. But literally, like, the day I was throwing the next day I was throwing catch, it felt best it's ever felt. I don't know if it's good or not, but I guess we'll see if I'm even gonna throw that or not.

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