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In the most unsurprising development of the 2024 MLB season, the Oakland Athletics will not sniff the playoffs. However, the team does have a few players who could help out contending squads.
While the July 30 trade deadline has passed, there's still time for the Athletics to cut pieces that they won't need past this season. Of course, there's no need to let go of any young and ascending players like Brent Rooker, Mason Miller, and JJ Bleday, but Oakland could save some cash on the payroll by firing a couple who aren't essential.
Who are three such players for the Athletics?
INF Armando Alvarez
Alvarez has had a chaotic baseball journey. The 30-year-old was brought up for the first time in June after eight years in the minors. He was then sent back down in July, only to be brought up and sent down again in August.
In 29 big-league at-bats this year, Alvarez slashed .276/.323/.310 with no homers and two RBI. While that's a small sample size, the Eastern Kentucky alum is also slashing .309/.405/.570 with 14 homers and 47 RBI in 230 triple-A at-bats.
At Alvarez's age, it doesn't make sense for the club to continue bringing him up and down the organization. If Oakland doesn't see a future with the 5-foot-11, 185-pounder, then it's best to cut him loose.
If Alvarez were to get a late-season look from a contending club, there's no doubt that he'd cherish the opportunity and work as hard as possible to make an impact after his long and arduous journey.
Furthermore, the veteran has a call-up story that tugs at the heartstrings. Alvarez immediately called his family when he got called up in June to share his special moment with them, via Justice De Los Santos of the Daily Republic.
“Alvarez immediately tried to phone his mother, Carrie, and father, Armando Alvarez III, but his parents didn’t initially answer. While Alvarez was in the Pacific Northwest, his parents were back home in Miami, where the local time was about 1:30 a.m,” De Los Santos said. “Alvarez eventually got on a FaceTime call with his parents and his sister, Carrie, and broke the news.”
“Just a surreal moment to be able to share that with them,” Alvarez said.
Alvarez has the grit and determination to be a valuable player in the MLB. After working his way up the New York Yankees organization following the 2016 MLB Draft, he got stuck on their triple-A squad from 2019 until 2022. The Miami native then signed a minor-league deal with the San Francisco Giants but never got called up despite posting a .960 OPS in triple-A.
Alvarez then landed in the Athletics organization, which finally gave him a chance in The Show this season. Now, will he get a chance to show his talents on the big stage again this fall?
While other teams did have a chance to claim Alvarez on waivers when he got sent down, he could get more calls from other teams if he has more time to spend on the open market.
RHP Gerardo Reyes
Relief pitcher is the most volatile position in the MLB, and contenders can never have enough quality arms in the bullpen. Similar to Alvarez, Reyes took years to break into the big leagues. The native Texan signed with the Tampa Bay Rays as an undrafted free agent in 2013 before getting traded to the San Diego Padres' organization the following year. He then worked his way up the farm system before finally making his MLB debut for the club in 2019.
Since then, Reyes has posted a 4-0 record with a 7.13 ERA in 41.2 innings of work in the big leagues. While that's nothing to write home about, he did allow a respectable total of two earned runs in three appearances for the Athletics this season. Oakland sent Reyes back down on August 7.
At 31, Reyes is unlikely to morph into an elite closer or setup man. However, he could help in a pinch if a contending club is desperate for bullpen depth.
LHP Scott Alexander
Alexander has the best track record on this list by far. The 35-year-old has consistently played in the MLB since getting called up by the Kansas City Royals in 2015 and has a 20-14 record with a 3.22 ERA and 1.29 WHIP in 299.1 innings of work. This year, the southpaw has a 2.51 ERA with nine holds in 34 appearances.
Alexander has had injury issues, though, in addition to being an elder statesman. The 6-foot-2, 195-pounder is currently on the 15-day IL, and it's not the first time he's been hurt this year, via ESPN.
It doesn't make much sense for a rebuilding squad like Oakland to keep Alexander around, as that type of club should be more focused on developing young talent.
Unlike the previously mentioned players, the former Giant would probably be scooped up on waivers right away if the Athletics set him free.
