The A's Must Rebuild Their Relief Roles
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Coming into the season, Athletics manager Mark Kotsay made it clear that the A's were not going to pick one singular pitcher to close games. Sure, at the time, it sounded reasonable. With Mason Miller now in San Diego, walking out to 'Blind' by Korn and shutting down hitters at a historic rate, it made sense for the A's to give everyone a chance to prove themselves.
Now, just 11 games into the season, it is time to ditch that plan and pick one pitcher as their closer.
The A's lost to the New York Yankees 5-3 Tuesday night, a game they were winning 3-1 heading into the eighth. Then, Kotsay tapped former Yankee, Mark Leiter Jr, to pitch in the bottom of the eighth. A bold decision considering Leiter held a 5.16 ERA at home last season with the Yankees. Leiter proceeded to blow the lead, allowing four earned runs.
The A's were playing very well, all things considered. They scored three runs off of Yankees right-hander Cam Schlittler, who hadn't allowed an earned run on the season through two dominant starts, and Aaron Civale threw five innings, allowing one run.
This is not the first time the A's bullpen has had a meltdown late in the game. They recently had one on Easter Sunday, when they were leading 9-5 in the top of the eighth before the Astros tied it and sent the game to extra innings. Brent Rooker saved the A's, hitting a three-run walk-off home run, but the game could have easily gone the other way.
With all that being said, who should the A's choose to be their closer, and how should the new hierarchy go? Do they have anyone on the roster capable of taking on the responsibilities of a closer? The short answer is yes, they do, and here are the options.
The A's New Closer: Justin Sterner
Justin Sterner is likely the most reliable arm in the A's bullpen right now. He pitched two innings against the Yankees on Tuesday, allowing two hits and striking out one.
He posted a 3.18 ERA last season (3.33 xERA), while having chase and whiff percentages in the high 80th percentile. This season, he holds a 1.50 ERA (2.27 xERA), low expected batting average numbers, and a high ground ball rate.
Sterner has had moments at the MLB level where he has looked un-hittable. One stretch in particular was last season when he started the 2025 season, pitching 18 2/3 innings before he allowed his first earned run. Sterner should be the A's closer going forward, as he is their best option and has the numbers to back it up.
However, if the A's deem Sterner as their closer, as they should, then who could be the late-game high-leverage arm that they turn to?
The A's New Set-Up Man: Hogan Harris
Hogan Harris is in the conversation with Sterner for the best arm in the A's bullpen. The only reason Sterner gets the nod in my eyes is because of his higher chase and whiff rates. Harris is a former starter who can give the A's some length late in games.
There could be a situation where Kotsay deploys him in the seventh inning and gives him the eighth, as a bridge to Sterner. Kotsay has shown no hesitation in having Harris pitch against both lefties and righties, making the southpaw a prime candidate for this role.
Harris, both last season and this season, has posted low hard-hit and barrel percentages. His ability to limit home runs and extra base hits should be attractive to Kotsay as a late-inning option. The only "knock" against Harris is that he is an average strikeout pitcher and has posted high walk rates, but Harris has been able to work around those flaws in his game and still perform at a high level.
The Rest of The Bullpen
The remaining pitchers in the A's bullpen have unique qualities that could make them attractive in specific situations. Luis Medina and Elvis Alvarado both hold 95th percentile fastball velocity and Medina can provide multiple inning length when needed.
Despite his horrid start, Leiter throws the coveted split-finger that can be effective when used correctly. Scott Barlow and Michael Kelly are veteran pitchers that can produce quality results. New addition Joel Kuhnel provides an interesting pitch mix, and after last night's win, is tied for the team lead in saves with one .
As it stands now, the A's bullpen hierarchy seems clear. Sterner should be the closer, with Harris as the primary set-up man. Kelly, Medina, and/or Alvarado can be interesting options in the set-up role based on matchups or if Harris is on a rest day.
This would leave Leiter, Barlow, and Kuhnel as the first pitchers out of the bullpen until they start producing quality innings. Kuhnel's showing could have him moving quickly into the late-inning mix. This way, if they do turn in poor results, the A's offense can have as much time as possible to take the lead back.
J.T. Ginn could end up in a role where he is the A's fifth starter heading into the weekend, with Luis Morales being optioned. That said, the A's are also calling up Jack Perkins, who could also turn out to be the team's fifth starter, or they could tag team the Mets this weekend.
Minor League Options
If the A's decide to truly shake up their bullpen, there are options down in the farm. Jack "Beef" Perkins is first on that list, as he posted really good numbers in 38.2 innings last season with the A's.
He has late-inning, high-leverage experience earning three saves last season. Many assumed Perkins would have a role to start the season with the A's, but he was optioned to Triple-A Las Vegas after Spring Training.
Another option for the A's to consider is right-hander Eduarniel Núñez, whom the A's acquired in the Miller trade with San Diego. Núñez pitched eight innings for the A's last season before being optioned back to Triple-A. So far this season, he has pitched five innings, walked six, but has struck out six batters and posted a 0.00 ERA.
Right now the A's are rolling with Perkins as their new addition to the roster, but how that move plays out has not been settled just yet. He could end up starting, or he could work his way into a key role in the bullpen with some solid outings.
Matt is currently studying Business at the University of Nevada, Reno. He is a life long A's fan and looks forward to pursuing a career in sports.
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