The A's Are Set Up For a Very Interesting Offseason

The Athletics are collecting a lot of talent, but they're only afforded 40 spots on the roster, which will lead to some tough calls this winter

Jun 8, 2025; West Sacramento, California, USA; Athletics pitcher Sean Newcomb (31) throws a pitch against the Baltimore Orioles during the fifth inning at Sutter Health Park. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images | Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

With a week and a half left in the 2025 regular season, it's tough to not look ahead towards the offseason just a little bit. The A's have made some big strides this season, and figure to be a club that will be in contention for a postseason berth in 2026, but with those new expectations will come some difficult decisions this winter.

The Athletics don't have many pending free agents, with just left-hander Sean Newcomb and righty José Leclerc set to test the open market. While that's certainly a good thing in terms of returning talent for next season, it will also present a problem.

The A's also have five players on the 60-day IL, and most of those names will presumably have to be added back to the 40-man roster this winter. The club will also have to protect a number of Rule 5 eligible players, such as former first rounder Daniel Susac and outfielder Junior Perez to name a couple.

The shape of the A's roster

The players currently on the 60-day are veteran catcher Austin Wynns, starters Gunnar Hoglund and Luis Medina, and relief pitchers Ben Bowden and Grant Holman. Of that group, Hoglund, Medina, and Holman seem like the surefire adds, while Wynns could potentially be re-signed as a minor-league free agent, keeping him off the 40-man.

Leclerc is also a member of that group on the 60-day, so he's not to be included in the math that's being done for roster construction. So with the A's at 40 players on the roster currently, one set to hit free agency in Newcomb, and potentially as many as five returning from the IL, that would leave the A's roster at 44 if all five were added.

If only Hoglund, Medina, and Holman make it, then that still leaves the A's roster at 42, with a number of players to protect in the Rule 5 Draft.

These cuts could be as simple as trying to pass someone like catcher Willie MacIver through waivers to keep him in the organization, which is one option given the likely addition of Susac to the 40-man. MacIver has also been a great presence in the clubhouse in his time with the club, and the team also has a knack for not missing a beat when he's behind the dish.

The most likely option that we see to help clear up space will be to DFA some of the relief pitchers the A's have in the minor leagues. Jared Shuster was added late this season off waivers, while Scott McGough, Anthony Maldonado, and Michel Otañez have received limited opportunities with the club throughout the season.

Rule 5 eligible

The other two players on the 40-man in the minors are relief pitchers Henry Baez and Eduarniel Nuñez, both of whom were part of the return in the Mason Miller trade with the San Diego Padres. They both figure to make it through the winter with the club, with Nuñez potentially being a bullpen piece for the A's to start the season.

Another piece of that trade, Braden Nett, will be Rule 5 eligible this winter, and will certainly be among the group of players added to the roster this winter. Kenya Huggins, from the Miguel Andujar trade, is another guy that will be Rule 5 eligible, but since he is in the lower minors, he figures to be protected in other ways that don't involve landing on the 40-man.

As you can see, the A's have a lot of talent accumulated at the moment, and there isn't a surefire way to keep them all together. The A's roster also figures to be fairly filled this offseason, which could lead to fewer waiver claims, like Brent Rooker, Justin Sterner, or Elvis Alvarado from previous winters.

This is going to be an interesting offseason for the green and gold. With the club seemingly close to contending for a postseason berth, do they rely on the players they have and stay fairly quiet, or will they make some deals to help them find that edge that gets them playing in October?