The Athletics have made a veteran addition to their offseason roster plan. MLB.com’s Martín Gallegos reported Saturday that the club reached a deal with Joey Meneses, a 33-year-old first baseman and outfielder formerly with the Washington Nationals.
Gallegos shared the news on X (formerly known as Twitter), confirming the structure of the contract and summarizing Meneses’ career production.
“A’s have signed 1B/DH Joey Meneses to a Minor League deal with an invite to Spring Training, per source.
Career .274 hitter with 29 homers, 61 doubles and 165 RBIs in three seasons with the Nationals 2022-24. Spent last season in Mets’ system and played in Mexico this winter.”
The signing gives the A's a low-risk, high-reward option as they continue shaping their 2026 roster. Meneses broke out in 2022 after an 11-year Minor League journey, hitting .324 with 13 home runs in 56 games during his remarkable rookie campaign for the Nationals. He followed with another productive year in 2023, batting .275 with 13 homers and 89 RBIs across 154 games.
However, his 2024 season brought a setback as his numbers dipped to a .231 average with just three home runs before spending time in the Minor Leagues. After a year in the Mets’ system and a productive winter stint in Mexico, the journeyman first baseman now gets another opportunity to prove he belongs back in the majors.
For the Athletics, the move fits their strategy of finding undervalued veterans who can compete for roster spots in Spring Training. With power bats like Brent Rooker and young prospects such as Nick Kurtz competing for at-bats, Meneses adds valuable experience and depth.
If he can regain the consistency that made him a fan-favorite in Washington, he could play a meaningful role for the A’s in 2026 — a fitting chapter for one of baseball’s most persistent late bloomers and inspiring comeback stories in recent memory.
