A's Shake Up Rotation As Early Issues Mount
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Last week the A's held a team ERA of 5.94, issuing 43 walks in six games. That was nine more walks that the second-highest total (34 from the Miami Marlins), which is a testament to how poorly the pitching staff performed last week. That said, the A's still went 3-3 and managed to take a series from the AL West leading Houston Astros, which is a step in the right direction.
The starting rotation held a 6.31 ERA in those six games, managing just 25 2/3 innings and walking 23 batters.
Manager Mark Kotsay made it pretty clear that a change could be coming after his press conference on Saturday, as the skipper said those types of performances should be behind this team as they have higher expectations now than in years past.
The starter on Saturday was Luis Morales, and it may not have been the walks that Kotsay was mad about, but that his righty shied away from the zone when he started getting hit a little bit early on.
On Monday, the A's optioned Morales to Triple-A Las Vegas (who will be in Sacramento this week).
A's calling up veteran reliever, but who will start on Friday?
According to Martín Gallegos, the A's will be calling up Joel Kuhnel as the corresponding move, which will also leave another question to be answered: What roster move is coming to make room for the righty on the 40-man roster? We'll have to wait until the A's make the announcement official on Tuesday.
Kuhnel, 31, has been a strike thrower in his career, and was last in the big leagues during the 2024 campaign, which he spent split between the Houston Astros and Tampa Bay Rays. He posted a 4.50 ERA (3.77 FIP) in 10 innings of work that season, and then spent last year in the minors with the Yankees and Phillies where he posted a 3.53 ERA across 63 2/3.
He started out this season by striking out six in three innings and has yet to allow an earned run with the Aviators. It's a solid move to bring him up, given how he's pitching, and the veteran presence he brings.
Starter for Friday
The more intriguing option to start on Friday against the Mets is Kade Morris for two reasons. The first is that he has plenty of experience at the Triple-A level, racking up over 100 innings, and in his 11 frames this season he holds a 2.45 ERA (6.70 FIP) with a .225 average against and a 1.18 WHIP. He's pitched well, though he hasn't quite been dominant.
The second reason he would be an interesting pick is because he was traded from the New York Mets to the A's in 2024 in the Paul Blackburn deal, and the A's opponent on Friday will be the Mets. Not only would that be a cool full-circle moment for Morris, it would be a way to potentially capitalize on the extra juices that would be flowing to get a big confidence-building performance.
The other option—and maybe one that makes sense here with Kuhnel coming up—would be J.T. Ginn (another former Mets prospect) moving from the bullpen to the rotation for this game, and potentially more.
The reason this makes sense is that it would limit the amount of roster shuffling needed to make the necessary improvements. The A's could call up Morris or Jump, but then would have to remove another player from the 40-man to make them fit, while also taking away another player from the 26-man roster to make room.
That feels like too many moving parts.
The other option would be to have Jack Perkins come up to make the start, given that he's already on the 40-man. That said, there would still need to be a second pitcher removed from the A's staff to make room for him. It's certainly possible, and the A's would love for him to claim a spot in the rotation.
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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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