A's Bring Back Old Friend

Jason Burke | Aug 22, 2024

Mar 16, 2024; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Texas Rangers pitcher Austin Pruitt (49) throws against the Milwaukee Brewers in the fourth inning at American Family Fields of Phoenix. Mandatory Credit: Rick Scuteri-USA TODAY Sports / Rick Scuteri-USA TODAY Sports

For the third year in a row, veteran right-handed reliever Austin Pruitt has signed a minor-league deal with the Oakland Athletics. After spending the 2022-23 seasons in Oakland, the righty was able to land a minor league deal with the defending World Series champion Texas Rangers.

Pruitt made it into just four games with Texas this season, being called up in mid-April, then landing on the IL nearly a week later with a right knee medial meniscus injury. After missing a couple of months, the 34-year-old was sent to the Rangers' ACL team to begin his rehab work, and about ten days later was in Round Rock beginning his official rehab assignment.

While pitchers get 30 days on a rehab assignment, Pruitt received just 19 before the Rangers decided to release him after he held an 8.10 ERA across ten innings while giving up 18 hits and walking three. After nearly a month on the market, the Oakland A's swooped in and signed him for the rest of the 2024 season.

This is likely a depth move for the A's to finish out the season, but it's hard to see a clear path for him to the 26-man roster in Oakland. Obviously Mason Miller isn't going anywhere, and both Tyler Ferguson and Michel Otañez have shown flashes of brilliance in the late innings that should keep them around for at least a look the remainder of the year.

Grant Holman and J.T. Ginn were both just called up in the past week, and you'd probably prefer not to burn an option this late in the season by sending either one of them down to call up a veteran that is not likely to be with the club next season. T.J. McFarland is the only lefty in the 'pen, which should keep him safe as well.

That would leave either Dany Jiménez or Ross Stripling as the potential arms on the fence. Jiménez has been with the A's for the past three seasons, has closing experience, and has plenty of team control left. He will be entering his first year of arbitration next season. The only reason the A's would move on from him would be due to his injury history each season, which has limited his availability.

For Stripling, he's owed some money, but the A's will be paying him whether or not he's with the team. He's another veteran and was recently moved to the bullpen from the rotation, though he recently told us that he has had a great time being a leader in the Oakland clubhouse this year.

Austin Adams also had a chance to return this season, which complicates things even further, since his return would mean that two spots would have to open up. There may not be a clear path to a roster spot in Oakland for Pruitt this time around, but he has had some solid moments with the team and posted a 2.98 ERA last year on a 112-loss club.

This is likely an deal that doesn't come with a guaranteed opportunity, but if the right situation arises, he could be the guy the A's call upon to fill a void.