With five games left, the Athletics are staring at a familiar kind of late-season test: not just who can help now, but who can force the club’s hand for next year. The roster picture is crowded, injuries have muddied the evaluation, and a few players need strong finishes if they want to stay in the conversation.
Seth Johnson is one of the clearest examples. Since the Athletics traded for him, the production has been uneven at best.
The move was never supposed to change the franchise, but it was meant to help steady a bullpen that needed it. Instead, Johnson opened his first month with the team with a 13.50 ERA in 4.2 innings.
September has looked better. Johnson has posted a 3.60 ERA in 10.0 innings this month, and that late uptick matters.
If he can stack one or two more solid outings before the season ends, he could lock down a spot on next year’s roster. If not, Triple-A Vegas may be waiting to start 2026.
Donovan Walton is in a similar spot, though his case comes with more competition. In 55 games since the Athletics traded for him, he has hit .230 with a .738 OPS.
This season overall, though, he has been much stronger, batting .267 with a .817 OPS. That kind of performance has at least put him on the radar for next year.
Even so, Walton’s path is narrow. If the Athletics pick up Jeff McNeil’s club option, Walton’s chances of returning take a major hit. And there are other names pushing in from behind, with Alika Williams and Joshua Kuroda-Grauer both in position to be viewed as better alternatives if Walton can’t make a strong impression over these final games.
Then there’s Cortes, who has already shown he can help this team, but still has work to do if he wants to hold onto that momentum. He has been excellent for the Athletics this season, and he backed that up in his last game against the Angels by going 2-for-2 with an RBI triple and a two-run home run.
The problem for Cortes is simple: the outfield is getting crowded fast. Denzel Clarke is back, Henry Bolte is emerging as a superstar, Zack Gelof is getting run in left field, and Tyler Soderstrom is part of the mix as well.
With that many bodies in play, there is very little margin for error. Cortes has already made his push; now he has to finish it.
In Other News...
A's Closed The Homestand With A Comeback Fans Desperately Needed
The Oakland Athletics finished their homestand with a much-needed lift, erasing a six-run hole to beat the Los Angeles Angels 9-7 and give a weary fan base something to hold onto. It was the kind of comeback that can change the feel around a club, especially late in the year, when the standings are long settled but the tone heading into the offseason still matters. Carlos Cortes and Zack Gelof supplied the big swings that made the rally possible, and the late push turned what looked like a flat finish into one of the more encouraging results of the stretch.
For Mark Kotsay, the result fit the broader message he has been trying to sell about finishing the homestand the right way and carrying some optimism into next season. Gelofs power continues to stand out as one of the more encouraging individual developments on the roster, while the ability to claw back from a lopsided deficit offered a reminder that this group can still string together meaningful innings. The bigger question now is whether that late spark can translate into something more lasting once the calendar turns. [Read more 🡒]
As Infield Picture Just Got More Complicated After Key Return
The Athletics infield mix took another turn with Joshua Kuroda-Grauer back on the active roster after a long stay on the 60-day injured list. His return arrives as Oakland continues to navigate a season defined by injuries and constant roster shuffling, and it gives the club another option in a group that has spent much of the year being patched together.
Max Muncys season is now over after he landed on the 10-day injured list with a left knee issue, adding another hit to an infield that was already short on stability. To make room, right-hander J.T. Ginn was moved to the 60-day injured list, a reminder of how quickly the As have had to adjust as they try to sort out the rest of the year. [Read more 🡒]
A's Fringe Contributors Are Making Next Year's Roster Decisions Harder
The Athletics snapped a six-game losing streak with a win over the Angels, and it came with a reminder that some of the clubs lesser-known contributors are making the winter conversation a little more complicated. In a season built around sorting through young players, depth arms and role candidates, nights like this can matter as much for what they say about next year as for the result in the standings.
Luis Medina has been giving the staff something to think about in recent pitching appearances, while Carlos Cortes added a timely spark at the plate in the same game. For a team still trying to map out who fits where when the roster gets reset, those are the kinds of performances that can turn a straightforward decision into a tougher call. [Read more 🡒]