A's Agree to Terms with McCarthy and Devine on One-Year Contracts

OAKLAND, Calif. – The Oakland A’s agreed to terms with right-handed pitchers Brandon McCarthy and Joey Devine on one-year contracts for the 2012 season, the club announced today.  McCarthy and Devine were the final two arbitration-eligible players on the A’s roster.

McCarthy had the best season of his six-year Major League career with the A’s last year as he was 9-9 with a 3.32 ERA in 25 starts.  He posted career highs in wins, starts, complete games (5), innings pitched (170.2) and strikeouts (123) and career lows in ERA, opponents on-base percentage (.281) and opponents slugging percentage (.377).  With 123 strikeouts and just 25 walks, he set an Athletics record for strikeout-to-walk ratio with a mark of 4.92.  McCarthy’s average of 1.32 walks per nine innings was second-lowest in A’s history.  The 28-year-old right-hander went 8-4 with a 3.15 ERA in 14 starts after the All-Star Break, tying for third in the American League in post-break wins and ranking eighth in ERA.

Devine returned to the majors for the first time in three seasons last year after missing the 2009 and 2010 seasons following “Tommy John” surgery.  He began the season at Triple-A Sacramento but was recalled by Oakland May 20.  Devine posted a 1-1 record and a 3.52 ERA in 26 relief appearances with the A’s before he was sent back to Sacramento July 27.  The 28-year-old right-hander finished the season with the River Cats and was 4-0 with three saves and a 4.24 ERA in 23 appearances overall with Sacramento.