The Athletics have a clear need as the trade deadline approaches: pitching, pitching and more pitching.
That’s the backdrop for a proposed deal from Bleacher Report’s Kerry Miller on Friday, one that would send two Yankees pitching prospects to Oakland in exchange for utility infielder Zack Gelof. For the A’s, it would be a swing at adding arm talent to support a roster already powered by offense, with first baseman Nick Kurtz leading the way.
Right-hander J.T. Ginn has started to look like a possible ace in the Athletics’ rotation, but the rest of the staff still needs help if the AL West club is going to make a run at a postseason berth. Miller’s idea would address that by bringing in right-handers Carlos Lagrange and Eric Reyzelman from New York.
The catch, of course, is that the Yankees would be giving up two of their better pitching prospects, which could make the front office think twice.
Miller described Gelof this way: "They have a handful of bats that definitely won't be going anywhere, but Gelof could be an intriguing name on the block with three years of arbitration eligibility still to come, an .823 OPS and a glove that plays just about anywhere on the field," Miller wrote about Gelof's potential trade value.
Lagrange would be the centerpiece for Oakland. He’s the kind of arm that jumps off the page: a fastball that regularly reaches over 100 mph and a slider that grades above average. The Yankees had been developing him as a bullpen option for 2026 before a non-season-ending shoulder injury, though most of his minor league work has come as a starter.
Even with a 4.55 ERA, Lagrange still flashed the kind of power stuff that makes scouts dream. He struck out 83 batters in 63.1 innings at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.
At 23, he still has plenty of room to sharpen his command, and if the mechanical tweaks come together, he could wind up looking like an ace in the making.
In Other News...
Shea Langeliers Just Reached Rare Air In A's History
Shea Langeliers has become one of the more important success stories to come out of the Matt Olson trade, the kind of player Oakland hoped it was getting when it brought him over from Atlanta. Since arriving, he has settled in as the Athletics starting catcher and kept taking steps forward, turning promise into production while becoming a fixture in the middle of the lineup.
Now he has added a rare place in franchise history to the rsum. Langeliers is one of only nine As players since 1968 to put together at least four straight 20-homer seasons, and he is the only one to do it as a full-time catcher. For a club that has spent years searching for stability and impact at that position, his rise gives Oakland something it has not had in a long time, even if the bigger question around the roster still hangs in the background. [Read more 🡒]
As Embarrassing White Sox Loss Put An Even Uglier Spotlight On This Slide
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Oakland did get a solo home run from Tyler Soderstrom, but it was a small consolation in a game that only deepened the clubs frustration. The defeat pushed the Athletics losing streak to seven, and with the White Sox putting together one of their most complete showings of the season, the As were left trying to move on from a result that only sharpened the questions around where this stretch is headed. [Read more 🡒]
A's Suddenly Face A Brutal White Sox Test During This Skid
The Athletics have spent the last week trying to stop a slide that has now reached seven straight losses, and the timing has made things even uglier. Sweeps by the Marlins and Tigers already put the club on the back foot, and the White Sox have only deepened the frustration with a lopsided result in the series opener. The bigger issue has been on the mound, where the pitching staff has been forced to lean heavily on the bullpen while young ace Gage Jump and the rest of the rotation have struggled to give the team the kind of innings it needs.
That leaves the final two games of the set in a tricky spot, with limited bullpen options and a lineup that needs more help to keep pace. Oakland has been waiting for more from its offense, but the pressure has only grown with Zack Gelof on the injured list and Nick Kurtz trending toward one, which makes the margin for error even thinner. The A's still have a chance to salvage something from the series, but they will need better length from the starters and a few more timely swings to avoid letting this skid get any worse. [Read more 🡒]