Athletics

Barlow was able to command a major league deal, though it’s from a team playing games in a minor league ballpark. The 33-year-old has finished with ERAs in the 4.20-4.40 range three years running, though he did so with both the worst strikeout rate (24.8%) and highest walk rate (14.9%) of his career in Cincinnati last season. Just about anyone could emerge as the Athletics’ closer, but Barlow doesn’t seem like a good bet at this point.

The A’s needed to clear a spot on the 40-man roster for recently claimed Andy Ibanez, so Schuemann was let go. The 28-year-old can play all over the diamond, but he has hit just .212/.306/.297 in 672 MLB plate appearances. His minor league track record is better, and his defensive versatility might win him some fans in another organization.

Ibáñez signed a one-year, $1.2 million contract with the Dodgers in the middle of January, but was designated for assignment less than a month later. The 32-year-old hit .239/.301/.352 for the Tigers last season and could platoon with Jeff McNeil this upcoming season, getting his starts mainly against left-handed pitchers.

The deal includes an eighth-year club option. Wilson finished second in AL Rookie of the Year voting behind his teammate Nick Kurtz, after hitting .311/.355/.444 with 13 home runs and five steals in 125 games this season. The 23-year-old is an elite contact hitter who has always sported high batting averages in the minors and flashed decent enough power last season. He has graded out as a below-average defender at shortstop in each of the last two seasons and may eventually need to move to second base, but this contract is fair value for a player with his hit tool. The A’s now have Wilson, Brent Rooker, Tyler Soderstrom, and Lawrence Butler under long-term contracts, with Nick Kurtz still on his rookie deal. That’s a solid offensive foundation.

De Vries was the centerpiece the Padres sent back to the A’s for Mason Miller last season and is considered one of the best prospects in baseball. It’s customary for top prospects to get an invite to major league spring training, especially when they’ve already reached Double-A like De Vries did last season. It’s unlikely the 19-year-old is ready to compete for a major league roster spot yet though. Of this trio, Jump has the best chance to reach the majors in 2026 after breaking out with a 3.28 ERA, 1.10 WHIP, and 131/34 K/BB ratio across 112 2/3 innings between High-A and Double-A last season.

Wallach has bounced around the AL West for nearly a half-decade, splitting time with the Angels and Rangers since 2021. The 34-year-old veteran backstop fits the prototypical mold for a break glass in case of emergency catching option behind starter Shea Langeliers and veteran caddy Austin Wynns. He’ll be stashed away as organizational depth at Triple-A Las Vegas after spring training concludes.

Arenado was ultimately traded to the Diamondbacks, which is where he told the Cardinals preferred to play, but the Athletics “would have absorbed more money than the Diamondbacks.” While the Athletics could still pursue options like Eugenio Suarez and Yoan Moncada, Rosenthal reports that they “intend to use Max Muncy at third base, with Brett Harris and Darell Hernaiz also in the mix.”

Enright spent the last two seasons as pitching coach for the Angels. Over that stretch, the Angels posted a 4.73 ERA and a poor 20.4 percent strikeout rate. Enright will now be working primarily with minor league pitchers as Mike Maddux serves as the MLB pitching coach, so perhaps he’ll have more success in that role.

Lavastida bolsters the Athletics’ catching depth behind starter Shea Langeliers and veteran journeyman Austin Wynns. The 27-year-old former prospect appeared in six games for the Guardians back in 2023 and hasn’t been back to the majors ever since. He’s merely an emergency depth addition at this juncture.

Langeliers had a strong season, hitting .277/.325/.536 with 31 home runs, 72 RBI, and seven steals in 123 games. He’ll be a fixture in the middle of the A’s lineup again in 2026.