If you watched the Athletics with any sort of regularity in 2025, it would be fairly easy to identify that adding another proven starting pitcher likely tops their offseason wish list.
The A’s improved upon their '24 win total by seven games with a 76-86 record last season, and they did so with a rotation whose combined 4.85 ERA ranked fourth-highest in the Majors thanks to an offense that performed as a top-10 unit across MLB in most categories.
With that offensive core of Nick Kurtz, Jacob Wilson, Brent Rooker, Shea Langeliers, Tyler Soderstrom and Lawrence Butler in place for the foreseeable future, it is essential that the A’s supplement that group with better pitching if they want to take that next step into playoff contention. As it currently stands, the A’s rotation would carry only two starters with a real track record of Major League success in Luis Severino and Jeffrey Springs, followed by a mix of talented but inexperienced arms such as Luis Morales, Jacob Lopez, Jack Perkins and J.T. Ginn.
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The problem is that adding a proven starter is no easy task. Most teams are always seeking to bolster their rotation this time of year. For the A’s, while general manager David Forst indicated that he expects payroll to increase this coming year and beyond as the club gears up for its relocation to Las Vegas in 2028, selling free agents on pitching at Sutter Health Park in West Sacramento -- their temporary home for the next two seasons -- is difficult given the stadium’s hitter-friendly nature.
“We do talk about whether bringing in another veteran [starter] makes sense,” Forst said. “It’s what everybody out there is looking for. … Our park is not the easiest to pitch in for the next couple of years. I’m aware of that. But it’s definitely on our list.”
We saw the market for starters kick off with a bang earlier this week when Dylan Cease signed a seven-year, $210 million deal with the Blue Jays. The A’s will not be swimming anywhere near those waters. Instead, they’ll monitor free agency and the trade front for pitchers who are realistically attainable and have the best chance for success pitching in West Sacramento.
Here are some potential targets:
RHP Adrian Houser (free agent)
Houser, who turns 33 in February, combined for a 3.31 ERA in 21 starts for the White Sox and Rays last season with 92 strikeouts and 38 walks in 125 innings. The strikeout numbers may not be impressive, but Houser demonstrated a quality that is key for pitching at Sutter Health Park -- keeping the ball on the ground. His 48.9 percent ground-ball rate ranked in the 79th percentile of all Major League pitchers in '25.
RHP Chris Bassitt (free agent)
Reunion time? Bassitt spent six seasons with the A’s, including an All-Star campaign in 2021, before getting traded to the Mets prior to the start of the '22 season. Like Houser, his 46.1 percent groundball rate ranked in the top third of the Majors as he posted a 3.96 ERA in 32 games (31 starts) for the Blue Jays last season before helping Toronto out of the bullpen during its World Series run. Turning 37 in February, Bassitt may not be a top-of-the-rotation guy, but he’s a proven, durable starter and has plenty of familiarity with the A’s coaching staff and front office.
RHP Kodai Senga (Mets)
Senga’s name has come up in trade rumors as much as any other pitcher in baseball this offseason. The overall numbers are attractive. He posted a 3.02 ERA in 22 starts for the Mets last year and owns a career 3.00 ERA over 52 Major League starts. But Senga, 33 in January, has also dealt with multiple injuries and struggled mightily over the second half of '25 before ending the year on the IL. With two years and $30 million left on his contract, Senga would come with the ceiling of an ace, though the high risk is obvious with his lengthy injury history.
RHP Edward Cabrera (Marlins)
Multiple teams are reportedly in heavy pursuit of Cabrera, who is coming off a year in which he recorded a 3.53 ERA in 26 starts for Miami with 150 strikeouts in 137 2/3 innings. He’s only 27 and still has three years of club control, so the asking price is understandably high. The A’s farm system has vastly improved over the past couple of years, giving them plenty of prospect capital to enter the conversation. But for as talented a right-hander as he is, there is also an injury history with Cabrera that would bring some risk.