Athletics Re-Sign Veteran Reliever T.J. McFarland in First Move Since Leaving Oakland

T.J. McFarland led MLB with 79 appearances out of the bullpen in 2024, and the Athletics are bringing him back on a one-year deal as they prepare to relocate to Sacramento.

Sep 2, 2024; Oakland, California, USA; Oakland Athletics pitcher T.J. McFarland (48) throws against the Seattle Mariners in the sixth inning at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum. / Eakin Howard-Imagn Images

The Athletics have signed left-handed relief pitcher T.J. McFarland to a one-year contract, the team announced Thursday.

The 35-year-old reliever spent the entire 2024 season on the Athletics' active roster. McFarland's $850K contract expired last week, though, making him a free agent.

McFarland's salary for 2025 has yet to be revealed.

This marks the first addition the A's have made since officially leaving Oakland and removing the city from their branding. While they will be setting up shop in Sacramento for the next three seasons, waiting for their new stadium in Las Vegas to be completed, the franchise will simply be known as the Athletics for the time being.

McFarland is just the third player to come off the board since free agency began in earnest on Monday, following in the footsteps of Cincinnati Reds left-hander Brent Suter and Cleveland Guardians catcher Austin Hedges. No free agent has switched teams as of Thursday afternoon.

We have signed left-handed pitcher T.J. McFarland to a one-year contract. pic.twitter.com/69UWIOboQ0

— Athletics (@Athletics) November 7, 2024

McFarland spent four seasons with the Baltimore Orioles and three with the Arizona Diamondbacks before the A's picked him up off waivers in November 2019. He went 2-0 with a 4.35 ERA, 1.500 WHIP, 3.9 strikeouts per nine innings, seven holds and a 0.1 WAR in 2020, after which he packed up and left in free agency.

From there, McFarland went from the Washington Nationals to the St. Louis Cardinals, then to the New York Mets, the Orioles and the Los Angeles Dodgers. He eventually wound his way back to Oakland this past March, getting traded there by the Dodgers in exchange for cash considerations.

McFarland proceeded to go 2-4 with a 3.81 ERA, 1.235 WHIP, 6.2 strikeouts per nine innings, 19 holds and a 0.6 WAR in 2024. He led all of MLB with 79 appearances out of the Athletics' bullpen.

Over the course of his 12-year career, McFarland is 26-20 with a 4.10 ERA, 1.443 WHIP, 318 strikeouts, one save, 62 holds and a 0.7 WAR. The hit-or-miss southpaw has finished three seasons with a sub-3.00 ERA and four seasons with an ERA over 5.00.

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