Former Kansas City Royals Prospect to Make A's Opening Day Roster
In this story:
This past off-season, the A's added 26-year-old Noah Murdock from the Kansas City Royals in the Rule 5 draft. The right-hander has yet to make his MLB Debut, but that will change in the next couple of weeks, as today, manager Mark Kotsay has informed Murdock that he will make the A's roster.
A’s manager Mark Kotsay informed Rule 5 pick Noah Murdock that he will make the Opening Day roster. It was an emotional conversation for Murdock.
— Martín Gallegos (@MartinJGallegos) March 17, 2025
“It’s not just because he’s our Rule 5 guy and we have to keep him,” Kotsay said. “This kid earned this spot and this opportunity.”
A Rule 5 Draft selection must remain on the team's 26-man roster for the entirety of their first season after being drafted, or else they will be offered back to their original club. However, as Kotsay said, it's not about the fact that they needed to keep him, but that he deserved this opportunity.
The A's bullpen has lost quite a bit of depth over the last few weeks, especially the other day when it was announced that Michel Otañez would start the 2025 season on the injured list. The team optioned Grant Holman to Triple-A yesterday, and the club also lost left-hander Scott Alexander this off-season to the Rockies in Free Agency.
Murdock comes with a solid mix of pitches, and his sinker averaged -11 degrees of launch angle against. Being a groundball pitcher will be extremely helpful for the A's while they spend their next three seasons in a minor-league ballpark.
A's GM David Forst has told Athletics on SI this offseason that they're unsure exactly how Sutter Health Park will play--they have the metrics for Triple-A hitters--but placing guys like Brent Rooker and Aaron Judge into the park figures to change some of the calculus involved.
Forst also mentioned that adding guys that keep the ball on the ground will limit the number of home runs allowed, no matter which ballpark they're pitching in.
With losing Alexander to free agency and Otañez to injury, Murdock could be a candidate to pitch in some later innings for the green and gold as the season progresses. To start, he'll be used in situations to get his feet wet at the big-league level.
Last year's Rule 5 pick, Mitch Spence, began last season the bullpen as a long relief option for the A's. When the opportunity presented itself, he was moved into the rotation and is now firmly in the mix to reprise that role with the team in 2025.
I grew up playing baseball, and also enjoyed watching and writing about my favorite team, the A’s. Being a diehard A’s fan from New Jersey is certainly not common, but I love the team and all of the current and former players so much. I currently attend school at Penn State Scranton where I get the opportunity to play college baseball.
Follow dylanq_2