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The Oakland A’s made a change in the outfield on Monday, with their lineup mired in a long slump.
One fallen prospect is back for another try, as outfielder Luis Barrera was called up from Triple-A Las Vegas. He was on the prospect radar for years and made a brief MLB debut last summer, but he eventually lost his 40-man roster spot last month when he was DFA’d. However, he cleared waivers and remained in the organization, and now he’s been re-added to the 40-man and brought up to Oakland.
The 26-year-old offers a skill set highlighted by speed and defense. At the plate the lefty looks to make lots of contact and slash line drives, and in the field he can play all three positions and has an excellent throwing arm. His numbers this season come in 101 plate appearances over 23 games for Las Vegas.
- Barrera, 2022 AAA: .286/.347/.473, 106 wRC+, 3 HR, 2 SB, 8.9% BB, 22.8% Ks
To make room, another outfielder heads out, as Billy McKinney was designated for assignment. He was once the club’s 1st-round draft pick in 2013 but was traded away the next season, and seven years later he returned last winter as a minor league free agent. Unfortunately the reunion didn’t produce results, as the lefty went 5-for-52 at the plate.
- McKinney, 2022: .096/.158/.173, minus-5 wRC+, 1 HR, 7.0% BB, 28.1% Ks
This transaction cuts McKinney from the 40-man roster, and in the next few days we’ll find out whether he moves on to another team or sticks around in the A’s farm system.
Analysis: This is the time of year to try stuff out and see what works, and McKinney wasn’t panning out, so another lefty outfielder gets a look. Barrera never quite got a full serious chance in the majors before, and Athletics Nation was excited about him for a long time, so let’s see what he can do! At the very least, the A’s can put out a ridiculous defensive trio along with Pache and Laureano, plus with Brown and Pinder also available there should always be great gloves in every spot.
Here’s the updated roster:
| Pitchers | Hitters |
|
Starters Frankie Montas (R) James Kaprielian (R) Daulton Jefferies (R) Paul Blackburn (R) Zach Logue (L) IL: Cole Irvin (L) 60-IL: Brent Honeywell (R) Relievers Domingo Acevedo (R) Justin Grimm (R) Zach Jackson (R) Dany Jimenez (R) Adam Kolarek (L) Sam Moll (L) A.J. Puk (L) Kirby Snead (L) Lou Trivino (R) 60-IL: Deolis Guerra (R) |
Catchers Sean Murphy (R) Christian Bethancourt (R) IL: Stephen Vogt (L) Infielders 1B: Seth Brown (L) 2B: Tony Kemp (L) SS: Elvis Andrus (R) 3B: Sheldon Neuse (R) 3B: Kevin Smith (R) DH: Jed Lowrie (S) Outfielders Chad Pinder (R) Cristian Pache (R) Ramon Laureano (R) Luis Barrera (L) IL: Skye Bolt (S) IL: Stephen Piscotty (R) |
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