A's appear likely to add third baseman from outside the organization

Jason Burke | Nov 10, 2024

Sep 1, 2024; Bronx, New York, USA; St. Louis Cardinals third baseman Nolan Arenado (28) at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images / Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

The Athletics have said that they plan to add to payroll this offseason, and the goal inside the clubhouse is to reach .500 in 2025. Third base is a position that the A's will need to upgrade if they hope to improve on the field, and spending some money may be the way that they achieve that goal.

A's GM David Forst recently spoke with Martín Gallegos of MLB.com about the hot corner. "I don’t want to discount the possibility of [Darell] Hernaiz, [Max] Schuemann or [Brett] Harris. To some extent, [A’s No. 8 prospect] Max Muncy may move there. We do have good internal options, but I think we need to explore what is possible on the Major League side."

Muncy could end up being the long-term answer at the position, though he'll need some extra time in Triple-A next season after missing time with various injuries this past season. He's also a natural shortstop, so there may be a learning curve to the new position that he'll have to go through as well before the team feels comfortable handing him the reins.

Still just 22, Muncy played 50 games with Las Vegas in 2024, batting .277 with a .374 OBP and an .865 OPS. Since being drafted by the A's in 2021, he has played just four games at third, so if the plan is to move him off shortstop with Jacob Wilson arriving this year, third base would be the logical landing spot.

If we're looking for players outside the organization, we recently wrote about the A's being a good fit for former highly regarded prospect of the New York Mets, Brett Baty.

There have also been whispers that the St. Louis Cardinals are expected to gauge interest in Nolan Arenado over the coming weeks, and while a player of his caliber isn't typically available to the A's, if they were willing to eat a large portion of his remaining $74 million over three years, then the Cards could be interested in making a deal. The problem with Arenado is that he has a no-trade clause, and it's tough to see any player waiving that to join the A's in Sacramento.

In terms of free agent third basemen, there aren't a ton that would be available to the A's. The biggest fish in that market is Alex Bregman, and he's going to get better offers. Behind him there are no sure bets. Two of the options have played for the A's the past two seasons in J.D. Davis and Jace Peterson. Yoán Moncada didn't play much at all in 2024, though he could be an intriguing buy-low candidate.

The most likely outcome this winter is that the A's acquire a third baseman either via trade, or potentially even the Rule 5 Draft, if there is one available to their liking. The free agent market doesn't offer a lot of help, and even if there were decent options, convincing them to spend their home games at Sutter Health Park would be tricky.

The big question for this winter will be whether they bring in someone, like Baty, that is the presumed starter that will have some time to claim the position during the regular season, or if they bring in a minor-league free agent or waiver claim and have a position battle in camp.