The Athletics’ bullpen needs help, and it needs it in a hurry. After a 2026 season that ended with the worst bullpen ERA in baseball, adding veteran arms has to be near the top of the shopping list this offseason.
That search now falls to a new front office. Following the Brewers’ first World Series championship, the A’s brought in Cam Castro from Milwaukee to serve as their new general manager. Castro was hired on Wednesday, and the organization had been without a true GM for a few months after mutually parting ways with David Forst.
With a new President of Baseball Operations and a new GM in place, the A’s can finally start attacking the pitching staff’s biggest weakness. One possible answer sits in a familiar name: Blake Treinen.
Treinen, 38, is nearing the end of his career, but his résumé still carries weight. He has spent the last six seasons with the Dodgers, along with four years with the Nationals and three with the A’s. Over his career, he has been an All-Star and a three-time World Series Champion, and he owns a 2.94 ERA across 606 innings pitched.
His best work may have come in Oakland. In 2018, Treinen put together the top season of his career with the A’s, earning his lone All-Star nod while piling up 38 saves and posting a stunning 0.78 ERA in 80.1 innings. That year, he finished sixth in Cy Young voting and 15th in MVP voting.
For a club that badly needs experience in the bullpen, the fit is obvious. Treinen also showed this season that, when healthy, he can still get outs in relief.
The A’s still don’t have a clear closer, either. Elvis Alvarado handled the job for a stretch this season, but his inconsistency makes him a shaky bet for a playoff bullpen.
If Alvarado were shifted into a setup role or even used as a middle reliever, the A’s could stabilize the late innings by bringing in a true closer. David Bednar and Alex Vesia have already been mentioned as possible options, but both would likely cost the A’s plenty. Treinen would offer a more affordable path if the team wants to save money and still add a proven veteran arm.
In Other News...
As Offseason Just Got Tougher Than One Jeff McNeil Decision
The offseason already has a familiar shape for the Athletics: patch the pitching staff and sort out second base, two needs that will define how the roster comes together for next season. Oakland has already declined Jeff McNeils club option, but that decision does not close the door on a reunion, and it leaves the club weighing whether to bring back a player it still knows well or turn to a different mix of options.
On the mound, the search could lead the As toward arms such as Dustin May or Aaron Ashby from the Brewers, while the infield picture is less settled. Donovan Walton and Alika Williams are part of the internal conversation, and the club can also look outside through free agency or trades, but if McNeil is not back, Joshua Kuroda-Grauer stands out as the likeliest in-house fallback at second. [Read more 🡒]