A's Big Decision Looks Smart, But Will it Pay Off?
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Heading into the Rule 5 Draft, Athletics on SI had written that the A's could stay out of the draft, since they already have Luis Medina on the roster, and he will be out of options in 2026. This means that he'll have to stay in the big leagues all year, much like a Rule 5 draftee.
After the club waived Osvaldo Bido to clear a roster spot ahead of the Rule 5, we also mentioned that the A's could target a San Francisco Giants pitcher, since they'd have familiarity with Sutter Health Park already.
Turns out the A's liked both of those plans, because on Wednesday, they selected Ryan Watson, a right-hander from the Giants, then traded him to the Boston Red Sox.
In the write-up on the Watson addition (before he was traded), there was certainly a lot to like in his profile. A hard-throwing righty with a swing-and-miss breaking ball is always welcome in an A's bullpen.
That said, in terms of roster construction, things were starting to get a little crowded—and they still may be. Tough decisions will have to be made.
A's bullpen is getting close to full
First up, we have Medina, who is set to return from Tommy John surgery after missing the entirety of the 2025 campaign. He's going to have his ups and downs, similarly to a Rule 5 pick, so it's probably best not to try and cram two of those players onto the roster. We're also betting on him making the team as a piece of the bullpen, not the starting rotation at this moment, but that too could change.
The assured members of the bullpen would appear to be Hogan Harris, Tyler Ferguson, Elvis Alvarado, Justin Sterner and Michael Kelly. We can also add Mark Leiter Jr., who signed with the A's on Thursday, to that mix.
That would essentially leave just one more player left in the bullpen, which could end up going to a veteran closer type of reliever, or they could go with the pitchers they have on hand. In other words, there wouldn't be room for both Medina (or someone else) and Watson on the roster.
While there would be plenty of upside among those arms, there would still be some uncertainty in that mix as well. Even the group that they have currently is fairly untested over the course of multiple seasons, which could leave some room for doubt to creep in. The A's are going to have to build up their depth a bit more this winter for those weeks when they need to cycle through arms.
As is, the last spot in the bullpen could end up being someone like Brady Basso, a left-hander that could also serve as the team's long-man if necessary. Of course, they could also go with Mitch Spence, another long-man option, or Eduarniel Nuñez, among other options on the 40-man.
Grant Holman dealt with injuries most of last season, but has been a solid member of the bullpen in the past. If healthy, he could also be a solid option for the club to consider.
The point here is that if the A's had welcomed Watson to their roster, they wouldn't have had a ton of flexibility throughout the season, so it may have been the best move for them to send him off to Boston for an intriguing infield prospect that gets on base.
The big question now will be whether the A's should have held a roster competition for that final bullpen spot between Watson and Medina during the spring. If Watson ends up being a big arm, then the A's could look back and kick themselves for this decision. At the same time, having that roster flexibility during the offseason could also come in handy.
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Jason has been covering the A’s at various sites for over a decade, and was the original host of the Locked on A’s podcast. He also covers the Stanford Cardinal as they attempt to rebuild numerous programs to prominence.
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