Top 3 Positions A's Need to Upgrade This Offseason

Jason Burke | Oct 13, 2024

Sep 24, 2023; Oakland, California, USA; A general view of the Oakland Athletics dugout after the game against the Detroit Tigers at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Robert Edwards-Imagn Images / Robert Edwards-Imagn Images

The former Oakland A's made some real improvements on the field in 2024, which saw Brent Rooker establish himself as a big-time bat in the middle of the lineup, Lawrence Butler become arguably the face of the A's rebuild and JJ Bleday put together a solid breakout campaign.

While the A's are headed to Sacramento, the goal for the team on the field will still be to finish with a .500 record. They have the makings of an interesting team to watch in 2025, but with a few upgrades, they could be pushing for a spot in the postseason.

Starting Pitching

The A's finished with a cumulative ERA of 4.37, which ranked No. 24 in MLB, but it was also a full run better than they finished with in 2023's 112-loss season. The A's starters in 2024 ended up with a 4.76 ERA, which was well above league average (4.15). The team has some interesting arms heading into '25, including Osvaldo Bido and Hogan Harris, both of whom stood out in short stints, along with rookies Brady Basso and J.T. Ginn, but the Athletics will need to add a veteran or two to the mix for next year to improve the team's floor.

Of course, that could be an issue, as GM David Forst said in the end-of-season media call, since they'll be pitching playing in a minor-league park instead of at the pitcher's paradise of the Oakland Coliseum.

The A's could use an upgrade in the rotation, but if it comes from outside of the organization, it would most likely come via trade. The best hope the A's have here would be for one of their young arms to take a step forward in 2025, cementing themselves as a member of the rotation.

Third Base

Third base was a revolving door over the course of the season, with 10 different players getting at least a look at the position in 2024. The two players with the most time at third, Abraham Toro and Brett Harris, were each well below average offensively, finishing with wRC+ of 65 and 63, with 100 being league average.

Darell Hernaiz is another option that could be in the mix at third, along with Tristan Gray, Harris, Tyler Nevin, Schuemann and even potentially former first rounder Max Muncy. The A's have options at third, but Forst mentioned that this could be a spot that the A's could look to upgrade from outside of the organization.

We have talked about two potential options for the A's to consider, one from the Cubs, and the other from the White Sox. One is a trade candidate that wouldn't cost a ton, and the other is likely to be a free agent after his club option gets declined.

Figuring out third base in 2025 could help give the A's another dependable bat in the lineup, which would help them achieve their goal of being competitive next season.

Backup Catcher

Kyle McCann finished the year with a 102 wRC+, which is slightly above league average, and is honestly pretty good for a backstop, especially one that played as infrequently as McCann. That, said, his splits between the first half and second half were stark.

Before the break, McCann held a 146 wRC+ in 92 at-bats, which is terrific. That also included his huge home run against the Baltimore Orioles in the early days of the season. In the second half, his playing time deteriorated, garnering just 48 at-bats in 13 games, leaving him with a wRC+ of 11, which is 89% below league average.

You can call it a small sample size, but the same could be said for the first half of the year. It appeared as though the league figured him out there, and that could mean that the A's need a new plan of action in 2025. Forst did say that they told Tyler Soderstrom not to put his catcher's gear away just yet, and with how infrequently catcher Shea Langeliers takes days off, having Soderstrom suit up once or twice a week could be a plan that they consider.

If that is the plan they go with, they could add another big bat, potentially even via free agency, by tossing money at a first base option whose market is slow to materialize, and have them serve as Soderstrom's backup.

The A's could also bring back Ryan Noda and/or Seth Brown, both of whom are left-handed options, and have them serve in that role as well, but the amount of upgrade there could be limited.