ATHLETICS DESIGNATE TWO DISAPPOINTING VETERANS FOR ASSIGNMENT
The Athletics announced that they have recalled right-hander Tyler Ferguson and infielder Brett Harris from Triple-A Las Vegas. Left-hander Sean Newcomb and infielder Aledmys Díaz were designated for assignment in corresponding moves.
Díaz, 33, had a solid run as a productive major leaguer from 2016 to 2022, suiting up for the Cardinals, Blue Jays and Astros. The A’s signed him going into last year, giving him a $14.5M guarantee over two years, ideally hoping that he could serve as a stable veteran presence on a rebuilding club full of younger and less experienced players.
The first season of the deal was undoubtedly a disappointment. Díaz carried a career batting line of .266/.320/.443 into the year but ended up slashing just .229/.280/.337 in 2023. While the former line translates to a wRC+ of 105, the latter put him at just 72, going from a bit above average to well below.
This year has been far worse. Díaz dealt with a groin and a calf strain in spring training and landed on the 60-day injured list to start the year. He was reinstated at the end of May but has slashed .103/.133/.103 since then. He wasn’t getting much playing time, with just 30 plate appearances so far this year and just three in the past week.
Rather than keeping him on the bench for the final three months of his contract, the club will let him pursue opportunities elsewhere while giving his roster spot and playing time to younger players who could perhaps be part of the club’s future. Max Schuemann has been getting the bulk of the playing time at shortstop and will likely continue to do so, with players like Harris and Armando Alvarez capable of filling in from time to time. Darell Hernaiz is on the IL, but Nick Allen is on the 40-man and could be recalled at some point. Jacob Wilson is a shortstop and one of the club’s top prospects. He only has 11 games of Triple-A experience and just 22 at Double-A, but he keeps putting up huge numbers and could be an option at some point.
The A’s will technically have five days to work out a trade with Díaz, but the interest from other clubs figures to be close to zero, given his contract and recent performance. He has more than enough service time to reject an outright assignment and will likely be released in the coming days, leaving the A’s on the hook for the remainder of his salary.
At that point, another club could sign him and would only have to pay him the prorated league minimum for any time spent on the roster. That amount would be subtracted from what the A’s pay. But given his recent form, he will likely have to settle for minor league offers.
As for Newcomb, 31, he also began the year on the 60-day injured list. In his case, it was due to irritation in his surgically repaired left knee. He was reinstated from the IL about a month ago and has since tossed 10 innings over seven appearances, allowing seven earned runs. He struck out seven opponents but also issued eight walks.
He once seemed like a building block in Atlanta earlier in his career, tossing 264 innings in 2017 and 2018 with an earned run average of 4.06. He pitched primarily out of the bullpen in 2019 but continued having good results with a 3.16 ERA.
Unfortunately, things took a nosedive from there. He posted a 7.45 ERA over the 2020 to 2022 seasons, including a stint with the Cubs. The A’s gave him some time on the roster late last year with encouraging results, as he logged 15 innings with an ERA of 3.00.
The A’s took a shot on Newcomb carrying that over, avoiding arbitration by agreeing to give him a $1M salary for 2024, even after he had undergone surgery on that left knee. But things haven’t gone according to plan and he’s been bumped off the roster.
Newcomb came into this year with his service-time count at four years and 113 days, leaving him 59 days shy of the five-year mark. Since players collect service time on the minor league IL, he crossed over that threshold earlier this year. That means he now has the right to reject an outright assignment in favor of free agency while keeping his salary in place.
That makes it likely that, just like Díaz, he will end up released in the coming days. The A’s will be on the hook for what’s left of his salary and any other club could potentially sign him and only pay him the prorated league minimum, with that amount subtracted from what the A’s pay.
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