A's Make 11 More Roster Cuts, Including Top Prospects
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When the A's unveiled their starting lineup for Sunday's matchup with the Cleveland Guardians, it was fairly clear which way the roster cuts would be leaning on Sunday evening. At the top of the order was Zach Gelof, getting his first start in center this spring as he looks to diversify his skillset in order to make an impact on this roster moving forward.
The bottom four players were Cade Marlowe, Tommy White, Michael Stefanic and No. 1 prospect Leo De Vries, with each of them likely sent out to the field on Sunday with the intention of making one final impression on the coaching staff before the spring roster was trimmed yet again.
All four players were reassigned on Sunday, as was the A's No. 3 prospect, Gage Jump, No. 5 prospect Henry Bolte, and a few more veteran options on the roster.
De Vries went 2-for-4 with a home run on Sunday, with two RBI and a run scored, finishing his spring batting .409 with a 1.129 OPS in 47 plate appearances. White, the A's No. 9 prospect, hit .441 with a 1.312 OPS across 37 plate appearances, and hit four homers with 15 RBI this spring.
Marlowe, a left-handed veteran outfielder that suffered through back issues last season, ended up with a solid spring himself, batting .326 with a .902 OPS in 50 plate appearances. He received a good chunk of playing time with Carlos Cortes off playing in the World Baseball Classic, but with Puerto Rico eliminated over the weekend, Cortes will be back in A's camp shortly.
Finally, there was Stefanic, who went 3-for-3 on Sunday with a run scored, and could end up being a depth option for the club this season. The veteran received 35 plate appearances this spring and ended up batting .485 with a 1.211 OPS.
In total, here are the moves the A's made before the team enters their final week: The Athletics reassigned left-handed pitchers Gage Jump and Matt Krook; right-handed pitchers Nick Hernandez, Brooks Kriske and Wander Suero; catcher Chad Wallach; infielders Leo De Vries, Michael Stefanic and Tommy White; and outfielders Henry Bolte and Cade Marlowe to their minor league camp.
The remaining fringe players on the A's roster
Of the 34 remaining players in A's camp, 31 of them are on the 40-man roster, with 18 pitchers, three catchers, seven infielders and six outfielders. Five of those pitchers will not make the Opening Day roster, while one catcher and some combination of two between the infielders and outfielders will need to be trimmed as well.
The three non-roster invites still in camp are right-handers Nick Anderson and Joel Kuhnel, along with catcher Brian Serven. It's hard to see any of those three not only making the Opening Day roster, but also being added to the 40-man to do so. Serven is batting .200 with a .320 OBP in 12 games, while Anderson holds a 3.86 ERA and Kuhnel is at a 2.35 with some solid swing-and-miss.
All three feel more like depth options for over the course of the season.
From the infielder group, we're likely looking at Zack Gelof starting the season off in Triple-A Las Vegas as he continues to work on his versatility around the diamond. That would leave Hernaiz, Muncy, McNeil, Kurtz, Wilson and Ibáñez on the roster.
In the outfield, if Butler is ready to go, it would likely be one of Cortes or Thomas that is removed for the start of the season. Cortes is a solid bench bat and an extra left-hander, which is useful for the roster. Thomas brings more pop and could be a platoon partner with Butler, so they each have their own selling points.
On the pitching side, Gunnar Hoglund is likely to begin the year on the IL after his latest injury, which takes care of one spot. With the two non-roster arms, that's another two. That's where things get interesting.
J.T. Ginn has shown some promise, but could ultimately be on the outside looking in when the season begins. That would make four cuts from the current spring roster.
The final cut could be an arm that had a chance at two different spots on the roster, and he may end up with neither of them, as Jack Perkins has a 4.50 ERA, and has walked seven batters in eight innings. The efficiency with his pitches may not be there just yet.
The ultimate decision the front office has to make for the bullpen is likely to be between Perkins and Luis Medina, who is out of options and would have to clear waivers to stay with the club if he doesn't make the team. Medina is also recovering from Tommy John surgery and hasn't pitched in a big-league game since 2024.
At the same time, he's touching 99 this spring, and it would be wise to at least see how he fares before sending him to the waiver wire. Medina is the favorite to win a spot in the bullpen to begin the season.
The A's have seven more games left this spring, and their projected starters will likely be receiving a good amount of the playing time as they get in gear for the start of the season.
For more A's news and insights, follow Jason @ByJasonB on X, or the site @InsideTheAs!
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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