The A’s made significant efforts (at least for their level) to field a highly competitive team last year. With talented youngsters in the majors and coming up in the minors, the club has added to the playing staff by moving to add players like Luis Severino, Jeffrey Springsagain Jose Leclerc in the barn. Those moves, in general, didn’t work well and a brutal first half helped the team trade Mason Miller to San Diego. Losing Miller to the core of the team is a big blow, but that didn’t stop the team’s new hitters (especially Nick Kurtz, Tyler Soderstromagain Jacob Wilson) from joining Brent Rooker to fill the bones of the official line down and keep the Athletics relevant before their second year in Sacramento.
That led to an offseason that saw more action, highlighted by the team’s successful trades Jeff McNeil and failed pursuits Nolan Arenado. That the front office was willing to not only trade Arenado, but take the remainder of his contract from the Diamondbacks, suggests at least some financial flexibility to make some additions. They also stayed active up front, signing Soderstrom and Wilson to two of the biggest contracts in franchise history.
With the system looking as solid as it is, that would make the first rotation a logical place to add. A’s starters were fourth in the majors last year in terms of ERA, and their 4.93 FIP topped only Colorado. Their 808 1/3 innings pitched were also sixth among MLB teams. Without Miller to help carry the load in the bullpen, improving the rotation seems like an obvious call for the team as it looks to fight its way back to competitive relevance.
With that said, adding to the rotation can be easier said than done. Players were generally reluctant to join the A’s given their footballing status. Sutter Health Park is hardly a big leaguer in the eyes of many MLB players, and if given the choice many would choose to play elsewhere. In addition, pitchers in particular may be reluctant to play there given how the park played last year. Sutter Health’s Park Factor, according to Statcast, made it the second-best park in MLB last year behind Coors Field, which was the third-best (Comerica Park in Detroit). Among those challenges, the limited facilities compared to most MLB ballparks, and the team’s uncertain ability to compete in the crowded AL West, pitchers may be hesitant to go to Sacramento.
Fortunately, the A’s have one thing going in their favor, and that is the volume of rookies still looking for teams. Framber Valdez, Zac Gallen, Lucas Giolito, Chris Bassitt, Justin Verlanderagain Nick Martinez are among the biggest names left in the market, but there is a lot of depth behind that group. Tomoyuki Sugano, Tyler Anderson, Jose Quintana, Marcus Stromanagain Patrick Corbin they can be veteran innings players who are solid (if unspectacular), while players are willing Walker Buehler, Jordan Montgomeryagain Marquez from Germany they have shown a real resurgence in the past and will look for a chance to bounce back this winter. (Montgomery is likely out until midseason after having Tommy John surgery last March.) While some of those players may balk at the idea of jumping to the A’s, Spring Training is still a few weeks away and at least some of those players are certainly hoping to avoid being held out of the lineup when pitchers and catchers report.
The A’s have not been publicly linked to the first base market this season. They have long been known to focus on trades instead of free agency because of the difficulties associated with selling free agents to join the team, and much of the reporting on their trade pursuits has focused on that side of things. It is possible that the A’s are high enough for internal launch options such as Gunnar Hoglund, Henry Baez, Jacob Lopezagain Luis Medina that they are not willing to give up the opportunity to give those young players a shot to bring in more proven talents with less upside. While adding to the rotation would certainly help the team compete better in 2026, it’s no secret that the A’s priority at this point is to put themselves in a position to perform as well as they can when they get to Las Vegas in 2028. Perhaps giving small arms time is the best way to achieve that goal.
What do MLBTR readers think the A’s will end up doing? Will they be able to pull off a worthwhile addition to the rotation? Or will they go into opening day mostly with the same group of small arms (plus Severino and Springs) they have now? Have your say in the poll:
