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Oakland Athletics pitcher Sonny Gray is suffering from food poisoning and was unable to make Monday’s Opening Day start against the Chicago White Sox. Rich Hill started in Gray’s place. However, he’s ready to return.

Continue for updates.  

Gray Will Start vs. White Sox

Tuesday, April 5

Gray said he will be on the mound Wednesday against Chicago, per Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle.

Gray Is Dominant Force at Top of Oakland’s Rotation

Gray will resume his role as the ace of Oakland’s rotation and gives the A’s their best opportunity to win every fifth day. The 26-year-old is one of the best pitchers in all of baseball and is likely just hitting his prime as a legitimate force for Oakland.

Gray was a first-time All-Star in 2015 and finished with a 2.73 ERA, 169 strikeouts and a 5.8 WAR. He also wound up third in the American League Cy Young voting, trailing only Houston’s Dallas Keuchel and David Price of the Detroit Tigers and Toronto Blue Jays. 

The Athletics face an uphill challenge to reach the postseason in the difficult American League West this season, even with Gray anchoring the rotation. 

All statistics via Baseball-Reference.com.

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Oakland Athletics pitcher Henderson Alvarez is inching closer to a return to the mound after undergoing shoulder surgery.

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Latest on Alvarez’s Return

Sunday, Feb. 28

The former All-Star pitcher—who signed a one-year deal with the A’s in December worth $4.25 million, per Spotrac—could be days away from throwing off a mound for the first time since last July, per Jane Lee of MLB.com.

Alvarez underwent arthroscopic right-shoulder surgery last year in his third season with the Miami Marlins, finishing the 2015 season at 0-4 with a 6.45 ERA. 

The 25-year-old Venezuelan right-handed pitcher was named to his first career All-Star Game in 2014 with a 12-7 record and a 2.65 ERA. He was one of the 12 players included in the Marlins’ trade with the Toronto Blue Jays centered around shortstop Jose Reyes, per ESPN.com’s Jerry Crasnick.

This is a good sign for both Alvarez and the A’s, who are looking to rebound after finishing last in the American League West a year ago at 68-94. Oakland allowed 729 runs last year, good for 10th-worst in MLB, per ESPN.com. If Alvarez is on schedule for a healthy return, he and Sonny Gray could make a solid tandem in Oakland.

Stats courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com.

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After spending the last year as sellers, the Oakland Athletics may be ready to start investing in their future with star outfielder Josh Reddick.   

According to John Hickey of the Bay Area News Group, the Athletics and Reddick are ready to start discussions about a multiyear contract extension. 

Continue for updates. 

Reddick Part of Oakland’s Future

Sunday, Jan. 24

When the offseason started, Reddick’s name was suggested as a potential trade candidate because he’s scheduled to become a free agent after 2016 and the team dealt Josh Donaldson, a young superstar who was four years away from free agency, to Toronto last winter. 

In November, Oakland general manager Billy Beane told Peter Gammons of Gammons Daily he could not see the team trading Reddick or star pitcher Sonny Gray. 

Earlier this month, the A’s were able to avoid going to arbitration with Reddick by signing him to a one-year deal worth $6.575 million. The 28-year-old has had an erratic four-year run in Oakland, but he’s been very good at his best. 

Reddick missed a combined 101 games in 2013-14 and hit a total of 24 home runs as a result. In 2012 and 2015, he played a total of 315 games with 52 home runs and posted a career-high .333 on-base percentage last season. 

The Athletics might be able to convince Reddick to accept a team-friendly deal because of his injury concerns, promising him financial security and a stable environment. But he could opt to bet on himself, hoping to have another strong season in 2016 and put himself in position to get a huge deal. It’s a risky proposition that may have a resolution, one way or the other, before the regular season begins on April 4. 

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The Chicago White Sox struggled to score runs last season, so they added some offense Wednesday in the form of third baseman Brett Lawrie.

The White Sox announced a trade with the Oakland Athletics on Twitter and gave up left-handed pitcher Zachary Erwin and right-handed pitcher J.B. Wendelken in exchange for Lawrie. MLB.com did not rank either pitcher in Chicago’s top 30 prospects following the 2015 campaign. 

Athletics outfielder Josh Reddick still seemed pleased to welcome Wendelken to the fold:

Lawrie was the headline of the trade, especially after he appeared in 149 games for Oakland last season and hit .260 with a career-high 16 home runs and 60 RBI. His presence will be welcome news for the White Sox because they were a dismal 28th in the league in total runs scored last season and can use all the help they can get on the offensive side.

CBS Chicago described the importance of this trade from the White Sox’s perspective:    

The third-base spot was a disaster for Chicago last season, as it had the lowest batting average and slugging percentage production from that position in the majors. The combination of Conor Gillaspie, Gordon Beckham, Mike Olt and Tyler Saladino combined for 16 homers with 59 RBIs (though Saldino played all over the field as well).

As for Oakland, it finished with an abysmal 68-94 last season and is understandably in rebuild mode. This trade only underscored that direction for the franchise as it attempts to build its prospect base that Baseball America ranked a concerning 23rd in the entire league entering the 2015 season.

The right-handed Wendelken is the more experienced of the pitchers and will be 23 next year.

According to MiLB.com, he pitched 43 innings at Double-A in 2015 and finished with a 2.72 ERA, 1.09 WHIP and 56 strikeouts in 43 innings. He earned a promotion to Triple-A behind those solid numbers but was not nearly as effective with a 4.50 ERA, 1.19 WHIP and 13 strikeouts in 16 innings. Given his struggles at the next level, it may be some time before he is in a major league uniform.

As mentioned, neither pitcher was considered a high-end prospect in MLB.com’s rankings. What’s more, Baseball America did not have Wendelken or Erwin in its top 10 rankings for the White Sox’s farm system before the 2015 campaign. 

As a result, Matt Spiegel of 670 The Score praised the deal for Chicago because it “did not give up any prospects of consequence.”

Before Oakland fans get too concerned, it follows that Erwin didn’t crack those rankings since he is only 21 years old and was Chicago’s fourth-round draft pick in 2015.

Jeremy F. Koo of SB Nation’s Athletics Nation passed along some numbers for the inexperienced Erwin: “In 15 games between the Rookie-level Pioneer League and Low-A South Atlantic League, Erwin struck out 30 and walked seven in 40 1/3 innings with a 1.34 ERA.”

Those are impressive statistics even if they did come against lesser competition. There is still plenty of time remaining for the southpaw to develop into a solid contributor for the Athletics organization if he continues to build on his early efforts.

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After just one season as a member of the Oakland Athletics, infielder Brett Lawrie could very well be on the move via trade this offseason.

Continue for updates.

Report: A’s ‘Likely’ to Deal Lawrie

Friday, Nov. 27

In the wake of the A’s acquiring second baseman Jed Lowrie from the Houston Astros Wednesday, Lawrie looks to be the odd man out in Oakland.

According to Susan Slusser of SFGate.com, both Lawrie and third baseman Danny Valencia are on the trade block and are drawing interest from American League teams, but Lawrie is more likely to go due to his versatility.

The 26-year-old Lawrie can play both second base and third base, and he is coming off his best statistical season at the plate as he hit .260 with career highs in home runs (16) and RBI (60).

Lawrie—who was born in Canada—spent the first four seasons of his career with the Toronto Blue Jays. He was shipped to the A’s, however, in a deal that sent 2015 AL MVP Josh Donaldson up north.

Although Lawrie certainly didn’t compare to Donaldson, he was fairly productive for Oakland, which is why it came as something of a surprise when they brought back Lowrie just one year after allowing him to walk via free agency.

While Lawrie has yet to reach the full potential he has displayed since the Milwaukee Brewers made him a first-round pick in 2008, he showed signs of progress in 2015.

Lawrie may not be a great fit for Billy Beane’s Moneyball approach in Oakland, though, as his on-base percentage of .299 last season was a career low.

Team’s are often willing to pay for potential in Major League Baseball, and since Lawrie should be on the verge of entering his prime, the A’s may be able to get a solid return if they decide to send him packing.

Follow @MikeChiari on Twitter.

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The Oakland Athletics are to sign free-agent left-handed pitcher Rich Hill to a one-year, $6 million contract, pending a physical, per Jane Lee of MLB.com.     

Hill, an 11-year veteran, started four games for the Boston Red Sox in 2015 and was 2-1 with a 1.55 ERA. Most impressively, he had 36 strikeouts and just five walks in 29 innings.

He pitched in relief with the Red Sox, Cleveland Indians, Los Angeles Angels and New York Yankees from 2010-14 but is 26-23 in 74 career starts.

Hill has pitched for six teams in his career—seven if you count two stops in Boston—and has bounced around from not only the starting rotation and bullpen, but the minor and major leagues as well.

Pete Abraham of the Boston Globe congratulated the 35-year-old journeyman on his contract:

However, Joe Stiglich of Comcast SportsNet California said the A’s are hoping he is more than just a nice story:

It’s possible he could be more than a back-end starter considering Sonny Gray (14-7) was the only Oakland pitcher to win more than seven games in 2015. Ten pitchers started at least six games for the team.

The A’s went from the American League Wild Card Game in 2014 to last place in the AL in 2015. This is a solid addition to the rotation in hopes of a turnaround in 2016 and a nice move for a player who has had his ups and downs during his career.

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The Oakland Athletics aren’t in the playoffs after three consecutive prior appearances, but they aren’t wavering in their support of front office executives Billy Beane and David Forst.  

The team announced Monday that Beane was promoted from general manager to executive vice president of baseball operations, while Forst will move up to take over the GM post.

Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle weighed in on what the news means:

Only four clubs had a lower payroll than Oakland in 2015, per Spotrac, which has always been the case during Beane’s lengthy tenure facilitating the Athletics’ personnel decisions. Also serving as minority owner of the A’s, it was only a matter of time before Beane was given a gaudier label for the pioneering work he’s done.

Beane spoke recently about how coming up short as a player helped shape his philosophy as an executive, per CIO‘s Thor Olavsrud:

I’m a former player, allegedly, if you saw my stats. I was judged the traditional way: the eye test. I was measured by skills that weren’t really relevant to playing the game.

I was a misjudged asset in my own career. Then the whole world opened up to me. [Sabermetrics] turned the world and the game into a mathematical equation that was easy to understand. And now sports teams are trying to hire the same people that NetSuite wants to hire, that Google wants to hire.

That type of visionary, forward-thinking has helped the A’s stay ahead of the curve as sabermetrics have grown in prominence in recent years. It’s also helped keep the team competitive despite a dearth of financial resources other big-market teams enjoy to bring in top-tier talent.

Forst has been a staple in Oakland’s power structure, serving as an assistant GM for 12 of his 16 years with the organization. According to the team’s official website, Forst has helped Beane with all player acquisitions and evaluations as well as contract negotiations.

As commendable a job as Beane and Forst have done to date, unless the A’s have more money to play with, it’s hard to envision them achieving the ultimate goal of a World Series crown. This offseason ought to bring about numerous roster changes after the team posted a 68-94 record in 2015.

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Justine Siegal made MLB history Tuesday, as the Oakland Athletics announced she would serve as a guest instructor for their Instructional League club, making her the first woman to coach in big league history.

“It’s a dream come true,” Siegal said, per Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle. “The A’s are a first-class organization, and it will be an honor to wear their uniform.”

Siegal, 40, has completed the Major League Scouting Bureau school and has her Ph.D. in sport and exercise psychology. Her duties will include “a little bit of everything,” ranging from hitting infield practice to offering her knowledge in meetings, according to Athletics assistant general manager David Forst, per Slusser.

“As a rookie coach, I expect to hit a lot of fungos, throw a lot of batting practice and help out wherever they want me to help,” Siegal told Slusser. “And I do like talking about life skills—I like to help people achieve their life goals.”

Siegal’s hiring continues an upward trend for women in men’s professional sports. The San Antonio Spurs made history by hiring Becky Hammon as an assistant coach, and the former WNBAer led the Spurs’ summer league team to a championship in July. The Sacramento Kings followed suit by hiring Hall of Famer Nancy Lieberman to serve as an assistant under head coach George Karl this summer.

Siegal’s situation is perhaps most comparable to that of Jen Welter, who served as a coaching intern with the Arizona Cardinals during training camp. Like Welter, Siegal was not hired for a permanent position but as temporary help during a time when a team needs all hands on deck.      

“Justine knows that nothing has been promised, but we’re not ruling that out,” Forst said of a full-time position.

That leaves the NHL as the only major professional sports league that has not had a female coach.

The Athletics previously employed Kate Greenthal in their scouting department from 2012 to 2014, and this hire shows they’re still among the most progressive organizations in baseball. Even if Siegal’s just a guest instructor, this is progress worth celebrating and, hopefully, a sign of things to come.

Follow Tyler Conway (@tylerconway22) on Twitter.

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There has been very little for Oakland Athletics fans to cheer for during the 2015 season, but that will change Saturday when fans are treated to a nostalgic afternoon of baseball.

The team announced Tuesday that Barry Zito will start Saturday’s game against the San Francisco Giants. One of his former Oakland teammates, Tim Hudson, will toe the rubber for San Francisco in a showdown that is bound to conjure memories for those in attendance.

This clash is particularly noteworthy for Athletics fans because Zito, Hudson and Mark Mulder formed the backbone of a strong pitching staff that helped the team reach the postseason four straight years from 2000-03. Oakland won the American League West three times during that span as well, thanks largely to the dominating performances that can be seen below:

Both veterans are expected to retire after the year, which will mark the end to two incredible careers.

The fans will not be the only ones excited by Saturday’s festivities, as Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle noted:     

As if the starting pitching matchup weren’t enough, all three players will be honored in a pregame ceremony before Sunday’s contest, as the team announced:

The three pitchers will throw ceremonial first pitches Sunday before Oakland’s final home game of the campaign.

Oakland is eliminated from the postseason race, and the Giants are virtually out of contention (although not mathematically). While both teams would prefer a high-stakes clash on the Bay with postseason positioning on the line, the fans will settle for a look back at the good old days with the former stars.

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The Oakland Athletics are in the midst of a down year, but the team has remained steadfast in its commitment to manager Bob Melvin. 

According to the team’s official Twitter account, the A’s agreed to terms with Melvin on a two-year contract extension that will keep him in Oakland through 2018. Financial details of the new pact were not disclosed. 

The 2012 AL Manager of the Year led the franchise to playoff appearances every season from 2012 to 2014, and he reiterated Wednesday that he’s looking forward to a future in the Bay Area. 

“I’m fully committed to this team, this organization, and this fan base,” Melvin told reporters Wednesday, according to the team’s official Twitter account.  

Bleacher Report’s Scott Miller was quick to note that Melvin remains one of MLB‘s best managerial minds: 

A’s players—including catcher Stephen Vogt—seemed to agree with that sentiment based on their reactions to the news, according to the San Francisco Chronicle‘s Susan Slusser: 

Melvin broke into the managerial ranks during the 2003 season with the Seattle Mariners, and he’s established himself as one of the league’s best baseball minds over the past 12 years.

According to Baseball-Reference, Melvin owns a career winning percentage of .509 with the Mariners, Arizona Diamondbacks and A’s, and that figure has ballooned to .532 since he arrived in Oakland. 

“(Bob Melvin) comes in believing he’s going to win,” general manager Billy Beane said at Wednesday’s press conference, according to the A’s Twitter account. 

With Melvin at the helm, Oakland is primed to throttle back into contention in the AL West as it gets ready to shake off a disappointing 2015 campaign. And given his esteemed track record, fans shouldn’t expect anything less.   

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