Promising Players Upped to Triple-A in Athletics Outright Move

TODAY: Neal and Rios have elected free agency instead of accepting the outright assignment, as confirmed by MILB.com’s official transactions page.

OCTOBER 4: The A’s have created some room on their 40-man roster by outrighting right-handers Austin Pruitt, Zach Neal, and Yacksel Rios, along with left-hander Richard Lovelady, to Triple-A after successfully passing through waivers. Interestingly, there were no prior reports of their being designated for assignment, but for now, all four players will stay within the Oakland organization.

Pruitt, Neal, and Rios, who have been outrighted before during their careers, have the option to elect free agency instead of accepting a Triple-A assignment. It’s likely that Pruitt and Rios, who are both eligible for salary arbitration this offseason, will be non-tendered, making them immediate free agents rather than waiting for an official release.

Neal joined the A’s on a minor league contract in April, recording a 6.67 ERA over 27 innings at the Major League level. This was Neal’s first MLB action since his stint with the Dodgers in 2018. In the meantime, Neal played three seasons in Japan and then spent the 2022 season with the Rockies’ Triple-A club without receiving a call-up.

Pruitt, Rios, and Lovelady all ended the season on the injured list. Pruitt, in particular, had the most playing time, with 48 1/3 innings across 38 appearances until a right forearm strain prematurely ended his season on August 17. However, it seems that Pruitt’s injury is not a long-term concern, as he has begun a throwing program and progressed to throwing live batting practices in September.

This is good news for Pruitt, who already experienced a major injury setback. During the 2020 season and a portion of the 2021 season, he was sidelined due to a hairline fracture in his right elbow. From 2017-2021, Pruitt registered a 4.83 ERA over 207 innings with the Rays, Astros, and Marlins. He then joined the A’s on minor league contracts in the past two seasons, producing a 4.23 ERA in 55 1/3 frames in 2022 and a 2.98 ERA this past season. Although his advanced metrics (4.32 SIERA in 2022-23) suggest some favorable circumstances, his overall performance has been solid.

Rios was acquired by the Athletics in a trade with the Braves in June. After his contract was selected from Triple-A, he made only three appearances before landing on the 15-day injured list, which eventually transitioned to the 60-day list. Rios suffers from Raynaud’s Syndrome and experienced numbness in two fingers due to reduced blood flow. In July, he underwent surgery to remove an axillary branch aneurysm from his shoulder, which should aid his recovery despite ending his 2023 season prematurely.

Rios has played six seasons in the Major Leagues, accumulating a 6.32 ERA over 98 1/3 career innings with five different teams. In 2022, he did not pitch in the majors while being a part of the White Sox organization. Last winter, he signed a minor league deal with the Braves.

Lovelady also joined the A’s from the Braves when he was claimed off waivers in April. Before being shut down in July due to a pronator strain in his throwing forearm, Lovelady recorded a 4.63 ERA in 23 1/3 relief innings for the Athletics. This new injury followed a 2021 Tommy John surgery, which caused Lovelady to miss the entire 2022 season during his rehab process. In the 2019-2021 seasons, the left-hander posted a 5.62 ERA in 41 2/3 innings with the Royals. Shortly before the A’s claimed him, the Kansas City team traded him to the Braves.