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Aguilar

Aguilar began the 2023 season as the starting first baseman for the Athletics, but was released after hitting just .221/.281/.385 with five home runs and nine RBI in 115 plate appearances. He finished the season in Triple-A with the Braves’ organization but now will leave the United States to keep his professional career alive. At 33-years-old, we may not have seen the last of Aguilar in a big league uniform.

It’s a bit unclear what type of role Aguilar would wind up having, if he gets the call to join the Braves at some point later this season, but he’ll get a shot at Triple-A Gwinnett to prove there’s still some thunder in his bat. The 32-year-old slugger was released earlier this month by the Athletics after compiling a pedestrian .665 OPS with five homers across 36 games.

This doesn’t come as a surprise after the 32-year-old was designated for assignment earlier in the week. He’s now free to latch on anywhere else of his choosing. Aguilar slashed just .221/.281/.385 with five home runs and nine RBI in 115 plate appearances with the Athletics this season.

The move, which was first reported by Daniel Álvarez-Montes of El Extrabase earlier on Monday, is now official. The 32-year-old veteran slugger finishes his time in Oakland with a lackluster .221/.281/.385 triple-slash line with five homers and nine RBI across 115 plate appearances in 36 games.

Nothing official from the club yet, but they need to free up an active roster spot for Monday’s starter Paul Blackburn to return from the injured list, so it seems possible that Aguilar will draw the short straw. The 32-year-old slugger is batting just .221/.281/.385 with five homers and nine RBI across 115 plate appearances this season.

Aguilar opened the scoring in the contest with his gargantuan 428-foot (106.5 mph EV) two-run blast off of Nick Lodolo in the first inning. He also singled in the ballgame, finishing the afternoon 2-for-4. On the season, the 32-year-old slugger is now slashing .270/.321/.500 with five homers and nine RBI.

Aguilar is up to .274/.324/.500 through 69 plate appearances. Of course, since he plays for the A’s, he has just five runs scored and seven RBI to show for his four homers, two doubles and 11 singles.

Aguilar won a 12-pitch battle with lefty Tim Herrin in the bottom of the eighth inning, belting a game-tying shot to left-center field. It was his first round-tripper in an Athletics uniform. He finished with a pair of hits in five at-bats in the extra-inning affair.

As a team, the A’s totaled just four hits in the ballgame and were unable to scratch out a single run, with Aguilar the only member of the lineup to have more than one. He’s off to a solid start with his new ballclub, hitting .333 (3-for-9), though he’s still looking for his first RBI.

Aguilar got the nod at first base in this one and finished with a three-hit performance, which also included a solo homer in the fourth inning. The 32-year-old slugger is vying for a spot on Oakland’s season-opening roster as a first base and designated hitter option after signing a one-year, $3 million contract back in late January.