The Athletics are still hanging around the edge of the postseason picture, but the path back is narrow enough that the club is clearly thinking about survival mode on the mound.
That’s where Matt Sauer comes in.
On Monday, the A’s added the former Dodgers right-hander on a minor league deal after his recent stint in the Korea Baseball Organization with the KT Wiz, according to Mark Polishuk of MLB Trade Rumors. Sauer, 27, gives Oakland another arm it can lean on as the regular season winds down and innings become more valuable by the day.
Sauer’s route to this point has been a winding one. The Yankees selected him in the second round of the 2017 draft, and the Royals later plucked him out of New York’s farm system in the 2023 Rule 5 Draft. He reached the majors with Kansas City in 2024, then spent 2025 in a Dodgers uniform, where he made 10 appearances and logged a 6.37 ERA with 24 strikeouts across 29.2 innings.
His work overseas was steadier. In South Korea with the Wiz, Sauer put up a 4.88 ERA and a 15.6% strikeout rate over 18 starts.
“Sauer has been a starter for most of his minor league and KBO career, so the A’s could use him in either capacity as a Triple-A depth option or as a candidate for a spot on the 26-man roster,” Polishuk wrote.
Oakland has already gone through 31 different pitchers in 2026, and Sauer could be next if he turns in a strong showing at Triple-A Las Vegas.
In Other News...
Twins Pitching Depth Takes Another Hit As Roster Churn Continues
The Athletics added another arm to the organizational mix by claiming right-hander Taylor Rashi off waivers from the Twins, continuing a season of movement for a pitcher who has already changed hands more than once. Rashi opened the year with the Diamondbacks, went to Minnesota in a trade, and now lands in Oakland as the club looks to sort through pitching options wherever it can find them.
Rashi still has minor league options remaining, which leaves open the question of where he fits next. For the As, the claim is less about an immediate answer than about adding a pitcher with some flexibility, and it remains to be seen whether he heads straight onto the major league roster or begins his Oakland stay somewhere else in the system. [Read more 🡒]
Athletics Showed Real Fight In A Win Fans Could Not Ignore
The Athletics finally had something to build on after a nine-game losing streak, and the win over the Red Sox came with the kind of balanced effort that has been hard to find for much of the season. Tyler Soderstrom, Lawrence Butler and Jacob Wilson all played key roles, while Gage Jump delivered the sort of outing that can steady a young staff, striking out a career-high 11 and allowing two runs over six innings.
Soderstrom has been one of the clubs most reliable offensive forces since the All-Star break, leading the team in home runs and RBIs, and his recent surge has given Oakland a clearer sense of who it can lean on in the middle of the order. Beating a Boston club that has been rolling since July 26 does not erase what came before, but it at least offered a reminder that this group still has some fight in it, and some pieces worth watching as the season moves along. [Read more 🡒]
Athletics Slide Puts Any Late-Season Progress Under A Harsh Spotlight
The last week has only sharpened the reality around Oaklands season, with the Athletics dropping into a 1-9 skid over their last 10 games while injuries have continued to shape the roster around them. A few sidelined players are expected back soon, which at least gives the club something to watch beyond the standings, but the bigger picture still looks familiar: the As have spent too much of the year trying to patch together a rotation and bullpen that rarely line up on the same night.
There have been some encouraging individual outings on the mound, enough to suggest pieces of the staff can help going forward, but consistency remains the hurdle. Even with reinforcements on the horizon, Oakland is still far behind in the race and running short on time to make any real late-season move, which leaves the remaining stretch more about evaluation than a believable push. [Read more 🡒]