A's non-tender candidate: Josh Phegley could be odd man out

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Friday marks the deadline for MLB teams to tender contracts to arbitration-eligible players for next season. Those who are not offered a contract are considered non-tendered and immediately become free agents.

With that in mind, we will be examining potential non-tender candidates on the A's, beginning with Josh Phegley. The A's backup catcher is projected to receive $1.2 million in arbitration, according to MLB Trade Rumors.

Last season, Phegley slashed .204/.255/.344 with two home runs and 15 RBI in 93 at-bats. The 30-year-old is a career .223 hitter over six big-league seasons.

Phegley is a logical non-tender candidate for the A's, considering the projected $1.2 million price tag for a backup catcher. It remains to be seen if the A's re-sign starting catcher Jonathan Lucroy, but even if they don't, they would likely bring in someone else to start ahead of Phegley.

The A's are also very high on 24-year-old catcher Sean Murphy, who is expected to start the 2019 season in Triple-A but figures to be Oakland's catcher of the future. With Beau Taylor also potentially in the mix, Phegley could be the odd man out.

Oakland achieved great success with Phegley in the lineup last season. The A's went 20-7 in games he started. Phegley provided solid defense behind the plate and held his own with the bat.

Over the past few seasons, Phegley has proven to be a reliable backup catcher. He knows the pitching staff well and is popular among his teammates. We will find out this week if that's enough to earn a contract offer from the A's.

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