Could the A’s Turn a Former First-Round Pick Into a Trade Asset This Winter?
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The Athletics season is over, but the work of constructing a roster for next season is well underway. While most players haven't officially reached free agency—that happens in the days following the World Series—the work on potential trades, minor-league signings, and free agents is in motion.
We've mentioned the A's decisions on the 40-man heading into the offseason, and Baseball America named Daniel Susac as their biggest roster decision this winter. The former first round pick is Rule 5 eligible for the first time this winter, and if he is not on the 40-man roster in about a month, then he could be selected by another club in December.
Here is some of what Baseball America had to say: "Susac’s exit velocity data is middle of the pack, and both his hit tool and swing decisions remain question marks. He improved his chase rate from 41% in 2024 to 37%, but that’s still well below-average, and he swings and misses at a high clip, leading to concerns about how his bat will translate against more advanced pitching."
Will They Protect Him?
The backstop spent his season in Triple-A Las Vegas, and the surface stats looked good, with a .275 batting average, .349 OBP and 18 home runs, but the Pacific Coast League is also very hitter-friendly. Compared to the rest of the PCL, he held a 95 wRC+ (100 is league average), so while the stats were good, they were below the rest of the league.
The A's have Shea Langeliers entrenched at catcher as the everyday option, and potentially even an extension candidate, while Willie MacIver and Austin Wynns present two decent backup options already on the 40-man.
The club could even remove one of those players and end up going with just two catchers on the roster this winter to provide some flexibility. If that's the case, then having Susac secure that one other spot may be a long shot.
If the A's don't protect Susac, then they may be inclined to try and move him ahead of the Rule 5 Draft as part of a deal to address a current area of need. The worry here, and this is something that has happened in the past, is that the A's wouldn't have much leverage in negotiations because other clubs would know that they need to move him, or risk losing him for nothing in December.
Given that Susac appears to be a work in progress, there's also a chance that other teams wouldn't take the risk of adding him in the draft, given that he'd have to stay on the 26-man roster for the entirety of the 2026 campaign.
There is also the potential for a lockout in 2027, and Susac could be a gamble, given that he's not a sure thing. Following a development season with a potential lockout in '27 could set him back even further.
The most likely scenario we see is that Susac is used as a trade piece this winter, where he would just need to be on a team's 40-man all year, not the 26-man, which would allow a club to develop him at their own pace.
The asking price may not be terribly high, so he could also be used as a sweetener in a trade package to land the Athletics a bigger piece.
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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