by Bill Moriarity / A’s Farm Editor
November 20, 2022
Within a few days after the end of the World Series, not only do a number of major league players become free agents, but a flood of minor league free agents also hit the open market.
There are many ways in which a minor league player can become a free agent, but five days after the end of the World Series, all minor leaguers who’ve played at least six full minor league seasons and are not added to their organization’s 40-man roster automatically are declared free agents. And if six years after signing his first professional contract, a player finds himself left off the 40-man roster, it’s often a pretty good sign that his future with the team is not looking all that promising.
Minor league free agency provides teams with a good opportunity to try to shore up some areas of weakness within the system and to fortify their organizational depth. Teams typically look to add minor league free agents whom they believe might be able to help provide some useful depth during the season in case of injury or, sometimes, teams also hope they might get lucky and be able to find a diamond in the rough, as the A’s did years ago in the case of Brandon Moss.
This year, the A’s lost 25 players to minor league free agency, 13 of whom have appeared in the big leagues with Oakland at some point. The A’s currently have pending offers out to several minor league free agents, some of whom will surely end up joining the organization. But so far this offseason, the team has signed five minor league free agents, all of whom are likely to start the season with Triple-A Las Vegas. So, let’s take a quick look at some of the minor leaguers who’ve been coming and going…
–MINOR LEAGUE FREE AGENT ADDITIONS–
2B-SS Tyler Wade
The middle infielder, who will turn 28 this month, has more big league experience than any of the A’s other recent minor league signings. Wade spent parts of five different seasons with the Yankees, including playing in 103 games for New York in 2021, before appearing in 67 games with the Angels last season, primarily at second base. He’s a solid defender who possesses good speed but very little pop. Wade has a .353 on-base percentage in 299 career games at the Triple-A level and could provide a lefty-swinging infield option for the A’s next season.
2B-3B Pablo Reyes
The 29-year-old has a fair amount of big league experience under his belt, appearing in a total of 148 games with Pittsburgh and Milwaukee over parts of four different seasons. The versatile infielder has played all over the field in his career, at second, third and short as well as at all three outfield positions, but second base has been his primary position over the course of his minor league career. Reyes has posted a .785 OPS in 294 career games at the Triple-A level and could offer a righty-swinging infield option for the A’s next season.
1B Kevin Cron
The 29-year-old is the brother of big league first baseman C.J. Cron and the son of A’s assistant hitting coach Chris Cron. He appeared in a total of 47 big league games with Arizona over the course of the 2019 and 2020 seasons before spending 2021 playing in Japan and last season playing in Korea. Cron is primarily known as a power hitter who’s put up a .651 slugging percentage and a 1.057 OPS while hitting 60 home runs in 697 career at-bats at the Triple-A level. He could do an awful lot of damage with the A’s Triple-A affiliate in Las Vegas while also offering the A’s a righty-swinging power option at first base next season.
1B-OF Trenton Brooks
The 27-year-old is the only one of the A’s recent minor league free agent signings without any big league experience thus far. The 17th-round pick of the Indians in the 2016 draft, Brooks has spent his entire career in the Cleveland system. Mainly known as a doubles hitter, he has a .786 OPS in 166 career games at the Triple-A level and posted an OPS of .831 in 87 games with Triple-A Columbus last season. Brooks has primarily played first base and right field over the course of his minor league career and could provide the A’s with a lefty-swinging option at those positions if needed next season.
RHP Rico Garcia
The only pitcher among the A’s recent minor league signings, the 28-year-old has appeared in a total of 20 big league games for the Orioles, Giants and Rockies over the course of three different seasons. After having Tommy John surgery in 2021, Garcia turned in a solid minor league season in 2022, compiling a 1.99 ERA while notching 60 strikeouts in 45 1/3 frames over three different levels, with more than three-quarters of those innings coming with Triple-A Norfolk. And with those high strikeout rates, Garcia could offer the A’s another useful bullpen option next season.
–MINOR LEAGUE FREE AGENT LOSSES–
Pitchers: RHP Austin Pruitt, LHP Sam Selman, LHP Adam Kolarek, RHP Domingo Tapia, RHP Jacob Lemoine, RHP Collin Wiles, RHP Brent Honeywell, LHP Aaron Brown, LHP Ty Damron, RHP Matt Milburn, RHP Chester Pimentel, RHP Wandisson Charles, LHP Dalton Sawyer, RHP Nick Highberger, RHP Angello Infante.
Position Players: C Beau Taylor, 3B Matt Davidson, 3B Sheldon Neuse, 2B Nate Mondou, OF Skye Bolt, OF Luis Barrera, OF Billy McKinney, OF-1B Dalton Kelly, OF Vince Fernandez, OF Gabriel Maciel
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Wow! ReBrand time!