Athletics urged to retain their late-inning southpaw weapon during the offseason

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Athletics urged to retain their late-inning southpaw weapon during the offseason image

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The Athletics looked to bolster their bullpen early in the season by acquiring Sean Newcomb in a trade with the Boston Red Sox. The two agreed that cash considerations would be enough, and Newcomb fell into a high-leverage role. 

Things opened up after the A's decided to trade closer Mason Miller in late July. However, the club went with multiple closers down the stretch, including Newcomb. 

Now, the A's are at risk of losing their lefty reliever in free agency. He was working on a one-year deal that he signed with Boston and could generate a ton of interest on the open market. 

Athletics urged to retain their late-inning southpaw weapon during free agency 

The A's are coming off their best record since the 2021 season. They are starting to build their foundation, but could still use a few more key contributors. 

Coming off one of their best records in recent years, it would make sense for the club to retain what worked and move on from those that struggled. 

Newcomb was one of those players who excelled this past season. And with his ability to start games and come out of the bullpen, Bleacher Report's Kerry Miller views him as the one player the A's must retain. 

"There were 30 pitchers who logged at least five innings for the A's this season, only three of whom managed a sub-4.00 FIP. Remarkably, Newcomb was the best of the bunch, thriving to the tune of a 1.75 ERA and 2.69 FIP after the A's acquired him from Boston in late May. The 32-year-old was on a one-year, $1 million deal, and they could probably bring him back for around $2 million as they continue to figure out their bullpen plans sans Mason Miller."

Retaining Newcomb should not cost the A's much, and it should be one of their priorities this offseason. If not, the team must look closely at another arm that could help them during those high-leverage situations.

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Staff Writer