The A’s starting rotation, for now, looks pretty solid. Bringing on a veteran pitcher isn’t a bad idea, though, and perhaps they wouldn’t have to look too far to find their man.
Free-agent pitcher Mike Fiers tells The San Francisco Chronicle’s Susan Slusser and Matt Kawahara he is interested in reuniting with the A’s.
“I still talk to a bunch of guys on the team, they ask me all the time, ‘Is Oakland talking to you, or where are you going?’ I’m like, “I talk to them here and there, but I wish I could go back,” Fiers told The Chronicle in a phone interview.
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Fiers also said he enjoyed his time in Oakland and loved playing for “one of the best managers in baseball” in Bob Melvin.
Fiers spent the last two-and-a-half season with the A's and accumulated a 4.00 ERA and a 1.20 WHIP and was a big part of the team's success in recent seasons. He also threw the second no-hitter of his career in Oakland against the Cincinnati Reds in 2019.
The A’s handled Fiers’ unearthing of the 2017 Houston Astros' cheating scandal well. Last offseason Fiers admitted the Astros, which he was a member of, stole signs electronically during their championship season in 2017. Fiers was hit with blowback after outing the Astros' cheating ways, including receiving death threats after blowing the whistle.
The A’s rotation is in a good spot at the moment especially with Jesús Luzardo expected to be at the top of it. But adding a veteran to the squad only could be a positive. Fiers and Luzardo train together in Florida during the offseason. Plus, the A's don't know if A.J. Puk will fit into the rotation or be a bullpen piece, so that could be a factor as well.
Oakland Athletics
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After reportedly losing Marcus Semien to the Toronto Blue Jays on a one-year deal, it would appear the A’s should concentrate on filling the shortstop position. If they don’t replace Semien with a free agent, there are some internal options.
A Fiers return isn’t a crazy thought by any means. Even if he doesn't return, it’s good to see he valued his time in Oakland.