The Oakland Athletics are looking to make a deal for some of their arms as the MLB Trade Deadline approaches. Relief pitchers Lucas Erceg and Scott Alexander are rumored to be a couple of pieces the A's could be shipping, per The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal.
“The Oakland A’s still could take advantage of the soaring market for relievers,” Rosenthal said. “Right-handed setup man Lucas Erceg, who comes with five years additional control, is drawing significant interest, according to a source briefed on the A’s discussions. The team also has exchanged names with clubs about lefty reliever Scott Alexander, a potential free agent.”
Lone Athletics all-star Mason Miller is currently on the injured list and reportedly off the table for the A's, but that doesn't mean the A's aren't willing to part with their relievers for the right price.
Despite his age (35), Alexander is drawing interest from teams looking to add a lefty veteran piece to their bullpens. Originally a member of the Kansas City Royals, Alexander has flourished mostly on the West Coast during his career, pitching multiple seasons for the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Francisco Giants before landing across the bay on a one-year deal with the A's in 2024.
The 10-year vet has pitched well for the A's this year, allowing just seven earned runs in 22.1 innings pitched (2.82 ERA). Although his numbers aren't flashy (12 Ks in 22.1 IP), Alexander has a WHIP of just 1.075, a career ERA of only 3.26 in 293.0 innings pitched and could be a solid rental for a surging club.
Athletics hitter-turned-pitcher Lucas Erceg is drawing interest
A 29-year-old right-hander, Erceg has impressed in his second season in the bigs as a pitcher. Erceg has cemented himself in late-inning spots sporting a 3.68 ERA in 38 games with 41 strikeouts and three saves, including 30 appearances of scoreless baseball. The righty came up in the majors interestingly enough as a third baseman, batting for a .256/.316/.419 slash with 55 career homers in the Milwaukee Brewers farm system before transitioning to pitching full-time in 2021.
Since then, Erceg bounced around in the A's system until making his major league debut for the team in 2023, striking out 68 batters in 55.0 innings pitched.
While the California native isn't exactly the most youthful arm on the roster, his five years of contractual control and paltry $750,000 salary are very attractive selling points for any organization looking to bolster their bullpen.
It is no secret that at 44-64 the Athletics are in a rebuilding mode and are willing to part ways with their talented players as they prepare for an offseason departure from Oakland.
Although both Erceg and Alexander have not been major trade pieces for teams in the past, this year could be a different story as MLB clubs are hungry for reliable arms.
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