by Bill Moriarity / A’s Farm Editor
January 15, 2024
The A’s recently signed last year’s backup catcher, Carlos Perez, to a minor league contract, making him the fourteenth player the A’s have inked to a minor league deal this offseason – six position players and eight pitchers. There may still be more minor league deals to come but, at this point, these are the players the A’s have agreed to bring in on minor league deals. All of them have received invitations to spring training, and any of them could potentially be a part of the big league club before the season’s through.
Carlos Perez (C)
Perez, who served as the A’s primary backup catcher behind Shea Langeliers last season, was outrighted off the 40-man roster after the end of the season and then elected free agency. The A’s recently signed the 33-year-old Venezuelan backstop to a minor league contract with an invitation to spring training and have assigned him to the Triple-A Las Vegas roster. Perez did a capable job behind the plate while backing up Langeliers last season and the right-handed hitter put up a .226/.293/.357 slash line in 68 games for the A’s. As things now stand, it looks like he’ll have a good chance of starting the season as Langeliers’ backup again this year if the front office decides that Tyler Soderstrom could use a little more time at Triple-A before he’s ready for another crack at the big leagues.
Armando Alvarez (3B-1B)
The 29-year-old Alvarez was reportedly one of the most highly-valued minor league free agents this offseason. Originally drafted by the Yankees back in 2016, the right-handed hitter spent last season playing for the Giants’ Triple-A affiliate in Sacramento, where he slugged 18 home runs in just 74 games while also drawing 32 walks and slashing .308/.379/.581. Alvarez spent most of his career playing third base, but he saw more time at first base last season. And with Brett Harris likely to spend plenty of time manning the hot corner at Triple-A Las Vegas this year, Alvarez may end up seeing more time at first again this season. He’s yet to make his big league debut but could end up getting a chance with the A’s before the season’s through.
Hoy Park (IF-OF)
Park spent most of his career playing all around the infield – second base, shortstop, third base – but he spent most of last season playing the outfield while putting up a .385 on-base percentage for Atlanta’s Triple-A affiliate in Gwinnett. The 27-year-old left-handed hitter doesn’t have much pop but he does have a knack for getting on base. Park has appeared in 67 games in the big leagues but is likely to start the season playing all over the field in Las Vegas while providing a versatile depth piece for the big league club.
Daz Cameron (OF)
The son of former big league outfielder Mike Cameron, the right-handed hitter was originally drafted by the Astros back in 2015 and has appeared in 73 big league games for the Tigers across three different seasons. The 27-year-old Cameron is a speedy center fielder who hasn’t done a lot with the bat and has a lifetime average of just .251 in the minors. He made some strides at the plate last season though, when he hit 16 home runs in 110 games while slashing .268/.346/.452 and swiping 23 bases for Baltimore’s Triple-A affiliate in Norfolk. Cameron should spend plenty of time patrolling center field in Las Vegas this season while providing a depth piece in the outfield for the A’s.
Jeisson Rosario (OF)
Much like Cameron, Rosario is another speedy, defense-first center fielder. The left-handed hitter hasn’t shown much pop at the plate, but he does have a knack for drawing walks. Rosario has a career .248 batting average and .349 slugging percentage in the minors, but he’s compiled a .365 on-base percentage. The 24-year-old outfielder has yet to play above the Double-A level, but the A’s currently have him assigned to the Las Vegas roster. And if Rosario does start the season in Triple-A, he may bounce around the outfield while the more experienced Cameron gets the bulk of the starts in center.
Drew Lugbauer (1B)
Drafted by Atlanta in 2017, Lugbauer has spent his entire career in the Braves’ system. The 27-year-old finally got a brief look at Triple-A last season, but he’s done a lot of damage at the Double-A level, and the A’s currently have him assigned him to their Double-A affiliate in Midland. Lugbauer hit 28 home runs for Double-A Mississippi in 2022 and slugged 22 home runs in just 69 games while putting up a .635 slugging percentage for Mississippi last year. The left-handed hitter has the combination of power and plate discipline that the A’s favor. And while he has a career .226 batting average in the minors, Lugbauer posted an impressive .385 on-base percentage for Mississippi last season.
Jack O’Loughlin (LHP)
Despite pitching in the Tigers’ system since 2018, the 6-foot-5 Australian lefthander is still just 23, and he just got his first look at the Triple-A level last season, where he posted a 4.78 ERA in 86 2/3 innings of work for Toledo. With a strong repertoire of pitches, O’Loughlin is expected to have a good shot at joining the Triple-A Las Vegas starting rotation this season.
Vinny Nittoli (RHP)
The 33-year-old veteran righty was drafted by Seattle back in 2014 and has appeared in six big league games for the Mariners, Phillies and Mets over the past three seasons. He averaged 9.9 K/9 in 42 2/3 innings at Triple-A last season, and he should be a mainstay in the Las Vegas bullpen this season while waiting for an opportunity to open up in the big league ‘pen.
Tyler Ferguson (RHP)
Drafted by the Rangers in the sixth round in 2015, Ferguson has yet to make his big league debut. The 30-year-old righthander has averaged 10.3 K/9 in his minor league career but has also averaged 6.1 BB/9. He should start the season in the Las Vegas bullpen, where the A’s hope he’ll be able to harness his stuff and improve his command enough to make him a viable option for the big league bullpen before the season’s through.
Gerardo Reyes (RHP)
Reyes has more big league experience than any of the pitchers in this group, having made 37 relief appearances for the Padres and Angels across three different seasons. The 30-year-old righty averaged an impressive 12.5 K/9 at Triple-A Salt Lake last season but also averaged 5.4 BB/9. Much like Ferguson, if he can just improve his command enough at Las Vegas, he could make himself an option for the A’s bullpen.
Gerson Moreno (RHP)
The 28-year-old Dominican righthander made his pro debut in the Tigers’ system back in 2013 but has yet to make his big league debut. Moreno was effective, if a bit wild, for the Nationals’ Triple-A affiliate in Rochester last season, posting a 3.14 ERA and averaging 11.4 K/9 and 6.3 BB/9 in 71 2/3 innings of work. And he’s another arm who’ll be looking to improve his command while working out of the Las Vegas bullpen.
Michel Otanez (RHP)
The 26-year-old Dominican righty has averaged 11.2 K/9 and 6.3 BB/9 in 142 games in his minor league career. The A’s currently have him assigned to the Las Vegas roster. Otanez has struggled thus far in his limited time in Triple-A, compiling a 6.95 ERA in 33 2/3 innings of work over parts of two seasons with Syracuse and Reno.
Danis Correa (RHP)
Despite making his pro debut in the Cubs’ system back in 2017, the Colombian righthander is still just 24 years old. He’s another pitcher the A’s have signed whose command doesn’t quite match his stuff, having averaged 10.1 K/9 and 4.9 BB/9 in 106 games in his minor league career. The reliever is currently assigned to Double-A Midland.
Domingo Robles (LHP)
Robles is one of the few pitchers in this group who hasn’t struggled with his command. The 25-year-old Dominican lefty struck out 119 batters in 119 1/3 innings while issuing just 32 walks as a starter for Double-A Mississippi in the Braves’ system last season. The A’s currently have him assigned to the Midland roster.
On the international front, the A’s have signed Dominican SS Edgar Montero (BA#33/MLB#43-$1.2M), Venezuelan OF Jose Ramos (BA#35/MLB#47-$1.2M), Cuban RHP Erick Matos (BA#59-$700K), Venezuelan OF Sebastian Rojas (BA#73-$550K), Venezuelan C Azzael Pacheco ($350K), Colombian LHP Franco Zabaleta ($35K), Venezuelan C Alejandro Pereira, Venezuelan SS Samuel Gonzalez, Venezuelan RHP Celso Lopez, Venezuelan RHP Yohandri Contreras, Venezuelan RHP Oliver Sirotti, Aruban RHP Nathan Arends and Panamanian RHP Luis Plicet. [UPDATE: The A’s have also signed Mexican SS Brayan Cota, Mexican RHP Hugo Meraz and Venezuelan LHP Jose Parra.]
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