On the heels of signing right-hander Luis Severino, Athletics general manager David Forst expressed throughout the Winter Meetings in Dallas earlier this week his desire to fortify the club’s rotation by adding another starting pitcher through trade or free agency.
The trade market is where the A’s landed that second starter they were after this offseason, acquiring left-handers Jeffrey Springs and Jacob Lopez from the Rays on Saturday morning in exchange for right-hander Joe Boyle and two Minor Leaguers: 1B Will Simpson, the A’s No. 28 prospect per MLB Pipeline, and right-hander Jacob Watters. The A’s are also sending a 2025 Competitive Balance Round A Draft pick to Tampa Bay in the deal.
TRADE DETAILS
Athletics get: LHPs Jeffrey Springs and Jacob Lopez
Rays get: RHP Joe Boyle, 1B Will Simpson, RHP Jacob Watters, 2025 Competitive Balance Round A pick
After reaching a $67 million deal with Severino earlier this month, Saturday’s move continues adding significant money to the A’s payroll, which Forst indicated will increase in 2025 from the $63.4 million figure last season. Springs is due $10.5 million next year and in '26, with a $15 million club option for ’27.
Springs, who underwent Tommy John surgery in April 2023, returned to action this July and pitched well in seven starts for the Rays, posting a 3.27 ERA with 37 strikeouts and 11 walks in 33 innings pitched. He was shut down in mid-September with what was described as left elbow fatigue, though the move was viewed as more precautionary with Tampa Bay out of playoff contention by that point.
At his best, Springs boasts an elite changeup to go with a fastball, slider and sweeper. The 32-year-old also appeared to begin integrating a cutter into his arsenal upon returning to the Majors last season. Springs’ fastball did tick down to an average velocity of 89.8 mph in 2024, but the A’s expect that to return to the 91-92 mph range it sat pre-surgery.
Springs had a solid 2022 season with Tampa Bay, highlighted by a 2.46 ERA over 135 1/3 innings, that earned him a four-year, $31 million contract extension with the Rays in January 2023. He looked to be on his way to even greater heights in ‘23 as he allowed one earned run and struck out 24 batters over 16 innings before his season was cut short due to the elbow injury that required Tommy John surgery to repair his UCL.
“He obviously has not had much of a workload the last two seasons,” Forst said. “I don’t see any reason he couldn’t throw 160-plus innings this year. We’ll keep an eye on him as the season goes along, but it’s not a situation where we go into the year having to worry about it.”
Lopez, 26, appeared in eight games for the Rays the past two seasons, compiling a 4.76 ERA in 22 2/3 innings. Originally drafted by the Giants in the 26th round of the 2018 MLB Draft, he holds a career 2.99 ERA in five Minor League seasons. Having started 70 of his 83 career Minor League games, Lopez will enter Spring Training as a rotation option who could also shift to the bullpen if needed.
“He’s been really good against lefties, specifically,” Forst said of Lopez. “We’re going to need length and different looks, so I think Jacob could be an option in the bullpen.”
Between a seven-year veteran in Springs and a nine-year veteran in Severino, the A’s now have a pair of experienced starters to anchor their rotation. That five-man staff is projected to be rounded out by JP Sears, Osvaldo Bido and Joey Estes, with Mitch Spence, J.T. Ginn, Brady Basso, Lopez and Spring Training non-roster invite Jason Alexander also in the mix.
Leaving the Winter Meetings, the A’s were engaged in talks with several free-agent starting pitchers. While the focus likely now shifts to addressing their need for an experienced third baseman, adding another starting pitcher is not out of the question given the amount of free agents still left on the market.
“This was important to make another move after Severino,” Forst said. “There are open conversations. I think we’ll have to weight those with the opportunities we have at other spots. I wouldn’t rule [adding another starter] out.”