Monday, September 28

Hello! Welcome to another edition of the A’s Beat newsletter.

The Athletics showed the signs of a young team on the rise after a strong 34-24 stretch to end the 2025 season, and they enter this offseason feeling like they have the right core in place that will get them back into playoff contention in ‘26.

Activity will begin shortly after the World Series finishes up in the next week. Soon after will come the General Managers Meetings and Winter Meetings over the next two months, which usually mark the point in the offseason when things start to pick up.

Here’s a look at some frequently asked questions about the A’s as they head into the winter.

Which players are free agents?

Right-hander José Leclerc and left-hander Sean Newcomb are the club’s impending free agents who finished the season on the 40-man roster.

Are any of them likely to receive qualifying offers, and what is the deadline for that?
The A’s are not expected to extend any qualifying offers; teams have until five days after the completion of the World Series to submit.

Which players have contract options, and what is the impact on the team payroll?
The A’s have no players with contract options for the 2025 season.

Who might be a non-tender candidate, and when does the club have to make that decision?
The crop of players eligible for arbitration this offseason includes catchers Shea Langeliers and Austin Wynns, outfielder JJ Bleday, left-hander Ken Waldichuk and right-hander Luis Medina.

Of the A's five arbitration-eligible players, Wynns and Bleday are the likeliest non-tender candidates based on the team depth at both positions. Bleday also is coming off a down year in which he hit .212 with a .698 OPS and 14 home runs in 98 games for the A’s as he bounced up and down from the Minors. Waldichuk and Medina are not expected to receive raises that would be large enough for them to be considered true non-tender candidates. Langeliers, meanwhile, could be a candidate to receive a contract extension.

This year’s non-tender deadline is Nov. 21 at 5 p.m. PT.

Who needs to be added to the A's 40-man roster to avoid the Rule 5 Draft?
Catcher Daniel Susac, rated the A’s No. 11 prospect by MLB Pipeline, must be added to the 40-man roster in order to avoid being exposed to other clubs in the Rule 5 Draft, which is scheduled for Dec. 10 at the MLB Winter Meetings. Other candidates the A’s might look to protect are right-handers Braden Nett (No. 4), Kenya Huggins (No. 23) and Chen Zhong-Ao Zhuang (No. 29), first baseman Brennan Milone (No. 26) and outfielder Junior Perez (NR), who slugged 26 home runs and posted an .821 OPS over a combined 137 games between Double-A Midland and Triple-A Las Vegas.

Players must be added to the 40-man roster by Nov. 18 in order to be protected.

What kind of help do the A's need? Will they be active in free agency?
Third base and second base are two positions that remain without an established starter. The A’s could look at in-house options like Max Muncy, Darell Hernaiz and Brett Harris to fill those roles, though exploring free agency for more proven options is another possibility. They will also be in the market for more pitching -- both starting and relief -- this offseason, particularly for a reliever with some closing experience after Mason Miller was traded to the Padres at the 2025 Trade Deadline.

Who might they be willing to trade?
If the A’s seek to acquire pitching via trade, they could look to deal from their strong outfield depth that was bolstered even further this summer through the Draft with the selections of Devin Taylor and Gavin Turley. Henry Bolte (A’s No. 5 prospect) is an outfielder close to Major League ready who could be dangled as a key prospect in a trade for a pitcher. Switching to the A’s pitching side, Luis Severino is not a player they are necessarily looking to trade, but they would likely listen to offers from teams interested in acquiring him. The right-hander made it clear he felt uncomfortable at times pitching at Sutter Health Park over the first half, though by the end of the season he said he figured out a plan of attack that he believes will lead to more success for him pitching at home in 2026.

Ernie Clement, a key player for a Blue Jays squad that is playing in the World Series against the Dodgers, was briefly a member of the A’s in 2022. He appeared in six games near the end of that season and went 1-for-18 with a double.

Before Game 3 of the World Series, Clement spoke about his time with the A’s and why he thought the stint did not go better.

“It just didn't really work out,” Clement said. “It wasn't the right fit. I can't blame them. I didn't exactly play great. It was a chance for me to get some perspective and kind of look at myself in the mirror and say, ‘All right, what do I need to do better? How can I not let an opportunity pass if I get another one?’ Like I said, I looked in the mirror and made some changes, and I'm just so grateful for the opportunity I've gotten here in Toronto. It's everything I could have really ever asked for. I owe it to them to give it my all and, you know, prove 'em right for giving me an opportunity.”

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