Oakland Athletics: Three options at closer
It’s unlikely the Oakland Athletics re-sign Liam Hendriks after a monster season ahead of free agency, so what’s next at closer?
While this is not official news, it’s highly unlikely the Oakland Athletics are able to retain Liam Hendriks next season. This leaves the A’s with big question marks for the 9th inning next season. How will the front office, always looking to find cheap diamonds in the rough, address the issue of closer next year?
Hendriks is the latest example of Oakland’s front office and staff living by this mantra. In November of 2015, the Athletics acquired him from the Toronto Blue Jays for Jesse Chavez. And after three seasons of pitching to around a 4.00 ERA, Hendriks blossomed into one of the best relievers and closers in baseball.
The 31-year-old walked away with the American League Reliever of the Year honors this season after an impeccable 1.78 ERA campaign. His 2019 was All-Star Game worthy, pitching to a 1.80 ERA while recording 25 saves and 124 strikeouts in 85.0 innings pitched.
Unfortunately, the Oakland Athletics’ budget doesn’t usually allow the franchise to sign big-name free agents. So, we shouldn’t expect to see Hendriks donning green and yellow next season.
With that being said, check out three potential options to take over the closer role in Oakland next season. Will the franchise elevate one of its remaining relievers under contract, or find another diamond in the rough on the free-agent market?
Jake Diekman
The easiest and simplest choice for replacing Hendriks comes in the form of Jake Diekman, a formidable left-hander with late-inning experience. Diekman signed with the Oakland Athletics in 2019, before enjoying a breakout campaign last season.
The 33-year-old appeared in 21 games last year, pitching to a 0.42 ERA and 0.938 WHIP. The lefty was incredible at preventing runs scored and racked up 13.1 strikeouts per nine innings.
With Diekman under contract through 2022, he represents the best relief option the Athletics currently have on the payroll. And for that reason, he’s the current favorite to replace Hendriks next season.
Still, this poses a rather risky option for the A’s. While Diekman was phenomenal last season, he lacks the truest test of a 9th-inning man, serious closer experience. Diekman has only seven saves in his 9-year MLB career.
The other hurdle for Diekman is getting over his walk ratio. He walked 5.1 batters per nine innings last season, even while putting together a sub-1.00 ERA. In 2019, Diekman walked 7.1 batters per nine. This is a hugely-concerning statistic for closers.
Kirby Yates
Kirby Yates presents an interesting closer option for the Oakland Athletics to target this offseason. In 2019, Yates was one of the best closers in baseball for the San Diego Padres.
He recorded 41 saves, leading the entire MLB, and pitched to a breathtaking 1.19 ERA. Yates was feared coming out of the bullpen into the 9th inning, while doing the job incredibly efficiently. In 2019, he only blew three saves for a 93.2 save percentage.
Then came 2020, which proved a disaster for Yates. The 27-year-old suffered an injury-riddled campaign in which he only threw 4.1 innings in six games. In those six games, his ERA ballooned to 12.46, before opting for season-ending surgery to remove bone chips in his throwing elbow.
By the end of the season, San Diego let Yates walk into unrestricted free agency fearing the recency bias of his injury issues. However, this opens the door for the Athletics.
While Tommy John surgery has become a mainstay for today’s MLB arms, injuries to pitching arms still light off red flags. Coming off an injury-riddled 2020 campaign, it’s safe to say the free-agent market won’t be super generous for Yates.
Enter the Athletics, who should be able to sign a proven closer to a relatively cheap contract. If Yates is able to fully recover and avoid any velocity loss on his mid-90s fastball, then there’s no reason he can’t return close to his 2019 form. If the Oakland Athletics are comfortable enough with Yates’ injury rehab, then this option is worth pursuing.
Anthony Bass
We’ve already seen a slow-paced and cheaper free-agent market this year as fallout from the 2020 pandemic-shortened campaign. This is a two-sided issue for the Oakland Athletics. While Oakland should be able to take advantage of this cheap market, especially with relief pitchers, we’re unsure of their ability to spend this offseason.
Anthony Bass may be the perfect solution. The journeyman has played on six MLB teams in just his nine years of MLB experience. And, for the most part, he’s pitched to average marks.
The 33-year-old right-hander owns a career 4.32 ERA and 1.324 WHIP. Arguably, his best two MLB seasons came in 2019 and 2020 with the Seattle Mariners and Blue Jays. In 2019, Bass threw 48 innings, recording a 3.56 ERA with five saves.
He then moved onto the Blue Jays and assumed the closer role following injuries to Ken Giles. During this replacement, Bass recorded seven saves and pitched to a 3.51 ERA. This isn’t exactly elite production from the closer role, but it’s solid.
If the market continues its trend, then this offers Oakland an opportunity to sign Bass to a short two or three-year deal. And as we’ve already discussed, Oakland seems to be a location that relief pitchers seem to revitalize their careers, much like down with the Tampa Bay Rays.
Next. Potential landing spots for Liam Hendriks. dark
Bass is excellent at preventing free baserunners and giving up the long ball. Throughout his nine-year career, he averaged 0.9 HR per nine innings and only allows 3.3 walks. If the Oakland Athletics can provide adjustments to give him an uptick from his 6.4 strikeouts per nine, then Bass has the opportunity to revitalize his career here.