Former Boston Red Sox pitcher signs minor-league deal with A's

Jason Burke | Nov 16, 2024

Sep 9, 2022; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Milwaukee Brewers starting pitcher Jason Alexander (41) delivers a pitch against the Cincinnati Reds in the first inning at American Family Field. Mandatory Credit: Michael McLoone-Imagn Images / Michael McLoone-Imagn Images

The Athletics have come to terms with 31-year-old right-hander Jason Alexander on a minor-league contract for the 2025 season, according to the MiLB.com transactions page. Alexander most recently pitched in the minors in the Boston Red Sox system, and he is the brother of former A's left-hander Scott Alexander, who is currently a free agent after spending 2024 in Oakland.

Yes, it will be difficult to not make Seinfeld references at this time.

Jason Alexander went undrafted in 2017, but ultimately latched on with the Los Angeles Angels until he was released in June of 2020. He signed with the Miami Marlins nearly a year later, and he was effective in the time he spent on the mound for the Fish, but he spent a decent amount of that season on the IL.

He signed with the Milwaukee Brewers in November of 2021, and in 63 1/3 innings in Triple-A the following year he held an 8-2 record with a 2.84 ERA and a 1.18 WHIP, which earned him his first trip to the big leagues, where he would make 18 appearances from June thru August, making 11 starts. He finished with a 2-3 record, a 5.40 ERA (5.34 FIP), and a WHIP of 1.62 in 71 2/3 innings.

Alexander stuck with Milwaukee in 2023, but did not return to the big leagues that season, and signed with the Red Sox last winter. He posted a 4.42 ERA across 138 1/3 innings in Triple-A Worcester.

His walk rate across his minor league career has been solid, including a 6.6% rate in 2024. He's not a huge strikeout machine, but he held a 21.9% rate last season, as well as a 3.81 FIP. On top of his walk rate, his ground ball rate has also been terrific across his time in the minors, sitting at 50.6% last season, which is the same rate he held in his stint with Milwaukee in 2022 that ranked in the 87th percentile.

With the A's set to embark on three or four seasons of play in a minor league park in Sacramento, that ground ball rate could come in handy for the Athletics. Many players this season spoke of balls with lower exit velocities going over the fence while playing in Triple-A parks, so one way to limit that concern is to add someone with a high ground ball rate.

Alexander also hails from Windsor, which is due west from Sacramento, or about an hour and 45 minute drive.

As far as his pitch mix goes, Alexander utilizes an 81 mile per hour changeup, a 92 mph sinker, an 81 mph slider, and a 93 mph four-seamer. Over the final month of the season, it appears as though he lost about two to three miles per hour on a number of those pitches. Even with the decreased velocity, he was able to go 3-0 in September while posting a 2.78 ERA across four starts.

One question that will need to be answered is if that decrease in velo is permanent, or more a result of it being the end of a season and Alexander having pitched 75 innings more than he did the previous season. At the very least, he's an intriguing depth option for the A's, especially in Sacramento.