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We’re nearing the end of November, and the Oakland A’s have already made three noteworthy trades. That places them among MLB’s busiest teams so far, but the smart guess is that there are bigger moves yet to come. Winter is here, so let’s take a look at where the 40-man roster stands in this relative calm before the storm.
The three trades so far:
- 1B Ryon Healy to Seattle, for RHP Emilio Pagan and SS Alexander Campos (link)
- OF Jaycob Brugman to Baltimore, for PTBNL/cash (link)
- RHP Brandon Bailey to Houston, for OF Ramon Laureano (link)
On top of that, several fringe names have been outrighted to the minors, with most of them electing free agency (see list below). Finally, a couple prospects were added to the roster for protection from the Rule 5 draft.
Here’s the 40-man at this moment in time. Names in italics have not yet reached MLB (including Fowler and his one partial inning in the bigs).
| Pitchers | Hitters |
|
Starters Sean Manaea (L) Kendall Graveman (R) Jharel Cotton (R) Paul Blackburn (R) Daniel Gossett (R) Daniel Mengden (R) Andrew Triggs (R) Jesse Hahn (R) Heath Fillmyer (R) Relievers Blake Treinen (R) Santiago Casilla (R) Ryan Dull (R) Chris Hatcher (R) Liam Hendriks (R) Emilio Pagan (R) Daniel Coulombe (L) Raul Alcantara (R) Chris Bassitt (R) Frankie Montas (R) Lou Trivino (R) |
Catchers Bruce Maxwell (L) Josh Phegley (R) Dustin Garneau (R) Infielders Matt Olson (L) Jed Lowrie (S) Marcus Semien (R) Matt Chapman (R) Franklin Barreto (R) Renato Nunez (R) Joey Wendle (L) Yairo Munoz (R) Jorge Mateo (R) Outfielders Khris Davis (R) Matt Joyce (L) Boog Powell (L) Chad Pinder (R) Mark Canha (R) Jake Smolinski (R) Dustin Fowler (L) Ramon Laureano (R) |
But wait, there’s more! Here’s a deeper look at the organization, taking into account the upper levels of the minor leagues as well. Details:
- I took an initial, rough attempt at a 25-man cutoff, including all the players who are out of options and thus can’t be safely sent back to the minors. Don’t get too hung up on the fringe details, because this roster will never actually exist anyway after upcoming moves.
- Players just below the 25-man cutline have at least debuted in MLB.
- Players in the AAA and AA sections are listed at the levels where they finished 2017, with A.J. Puk bumped back up after his postseason injury (at the expense of reliever Joseph Camacho, an emergency postseason replacement who is still listed on Midland’s roster but has never actually pitched above Single-A).
- I’ve left off LHP Sam Moll, who is still in DFA limbo. (Update: He was claimed by the Pirates on Monday.)
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As mentioned, a large number of fringe names are out of the picture now. Some were outrighted off the 40-man roster and elected free agency; others were in the minors already when their contracts expired. It would not be unusual to see a few of these guys re-sign this winter, but there certainly isn’t room for everyone.
- RHP: Michael Brady (to Brewers), Simon Castro, Zach Neal, Chris Smith, Josh Smith, Logan Bawcom, Chris Jensen, Aaron Kurcz, Carlos Navas, Tyler Sturdevant
- LHP: Felix Doubront, Sam Moll (to Pirates), Patrick Schuster, Brandon Mann, Jared Lyons (retired)
- C: Ryan Lavarnway, Matt McBride, Andy Paz, Argenis Raga
- IF: Chris Carter, Jermaine Curtis, Viosergy Rosa
- OF: Jaff Decker, Kenny Wilson
The next big dates on the offseason calendar (h/t MLBTR):
- Dec. 1: Arbitration tender deadline
- Dec. 10-14: Winter Meetings
- Dec. 14: Rule 5 Draft
The roster will surely look different by the time we reach March, but for now this is where Oakland stands. Stay tuned to see what happens!
