Former A's Pitcher Hits Free Agency

Jason Burke | Jul 4, 2024

Feb 26, 2023; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Oakland Athletics starting pitcher Adam Oller (36) throws in the third inning of a spring training game against the Milwaukee Brewers at American Family Fields of Phoenix. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports / Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports

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Back in 2022 when the Oakland Athletics were trading away all of the players that the fans loved, one of the moves they made was to ship Chris Bassitt to the New York Mets in exchange for J.T. Ginn and Adam Oller. Ginn, 25, is still in the A's system, but Oller got a look in Oakland in '22, getting into 22 games (14 starts) and holding a 6.30 ERA. Towards the end of the year, it looked like he was beginning to turn a corner, but he landed on the IL, which ended his campaign.

He returned to the A's in 2023 as a member of the Opening Day roster, pitching in long relief. After a rough first month, he was optioned to Triple-A. After a couple of months with Las Vegas, he was eventually placed on waivers and claimed by the Seattle Mariners. He didn't reach the Majors again, but he stayed in their system for the rest of the season, and elected free agency at the end of the campaign.

A week after former teammate (2022 with the A's) Stephen Vogt was announced as the Cleveland Guardians new manager, the team scooped up Oller on a minor-league deal and made him a non-roster invitee to camp.

He didn't make the big-league team, so he began the season in Columbus, where he posted a 6.85 ERA across six outings (five starts). He missed a month of time, and returned to the roster on June 16. Upon his return, he was used exclusively out of the bullpen where he totaled 5 1/3 innings and gave up a total of six runs.

On Wednesday, the Guardians released him. He has good stuff, but his command has been shaky at times which has led to some issues. There is a good chance that he finds a new home in the coming days with the hope that his next team will be the one to unlock his potential.

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Published Jul 4, 2024

JASON BURKE

Jason is the host of the Locked on A's podcast, and the managing editor of Inside the A's. He's a new father and can't wait to take his son to his first baseball game at the Coliseum.