The Athletics’ season has been knocked off course by injuries, but that hasn’t changed the larger conversation around what they might do next. With Shea Langeliers lost for the rest of the year and Brent Rooker also done for the season, the A’s have slid from first place in the AL West and playoff contention to the lower tier of the American League.
Even so, this doesn’t look like a team ready to sit still.
One path still on the table is using the stretch run to build toward next season, especially on the pitching side. The idea is simple enough: get more familiar with Sutter Health Park now, then come back with a group that can really push in a playoff-hopeful 2026 type of season. Sandy Alcantara has already been discussed as a fit in that mold.
Another name that makes sense is Kansas City right-hander Michael Wacha. The Royals are beginning to look like a club open for business after dealing Lane Thomas to the Braves, and Wacha could be the next arm moved. He has been excellent for Kansas City this year, posting a 3.51 ERA while leading the American League with 138.1 innings pitched.
Michael Wacha's last 4 starts:23.2 IP | 3.8 ERA | 1.14 WHIP20 K | 7 BBSeason Stats:138.1 IP111 K3.51 ERA | 1.16 WHIP | 7.22 K/9#FountainsUp pic.twitter.com/62B3DwYq0b
From the Royals’ side, the logic is clear. They’re not just a pitcher away, and Wacha is 35 and still under contract. If Kansas City believes it could be three or more years before it’s truly ready to contend, then cashing in now to help replenish the farm system starts to make sense.
That kind of move would be especially hard to ignore with Bobby Witt Jr. in his prime, but it’s part of the calculation for a team that seems to be retooling rather than chasing. For the A’s, meanwhile, it could open the door to a potential rotation addition if they want to keep building around a group that might be close enough to matter soon.
Wacha isn’t the only Royals pitcher tied to the A’s in recent discussion. Kris Bubic and even Seth Lugo have been mentioned as possible options to strengthen the rotation, though there hasn’t been any new reporting on Bubic since the original interest surfaced. With the deadline just a day away, that makes the Royals’ pitching staff one of the more interesting situations to watch.
Kris Bubic, 93mph Paint. pic.twitter.com/z3OJBHuK3s
If the A’s can upgrade the pitching enough, the hope is that they’ll be positioned to contend for the division next season, as long as they stay healthy.
In Other News...
Jack Perkins Is Forcing An Athletics Rotation Question Late This Season
With the season winding down, Mark Kotsay is using these last weeks to take a longer look at young Athletics pitchers, and Jack Perkins has pushed himself into the conversation. The right-hander has shown enough progress to make this stretch matter beyond the standings, because Oakland is still sorting out what its future rotation could look like and who belongs in it.
Perkins added another layer to that case in a recent outing against the Tigers, where he gave up three home runs but also struck out a career-high nine over 5 1/3 innings. The mixed line fits the broader evaluation Kotsay is trying to conduct, and Perkins has made it clear he sees himself as part of the clubs rotation picture down the road, even if the exact timeline still leaves room for questions. [Read more 🡒]