Oakland Athletics: What other relievers might the team add at the deadline?
By Justin Fried
2. Moderate-cost options
If the A’s would like to spend a bit more money, but not go after the top players on the market, there are still a few notable names that they could target.
The first of which is Baltimore Orioles reliever Mychal Givens. Givens isn’t exactly old (29-years-old) and still has years of control left, but his lackluster 2019 season should drive down Baltimore’s asking price.
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The Florida native is sure to give you plenty of strikeout production and would only add to an A’s bullpen already full of pitchers with nasty stuff. The fact that he has two years of control only makes this deal more intriguing.
But if the team isn’t as focused on stuff and strikeout potential and is more focused on 2019 performance, they could always look across the Bay to their crosstown foes, the San Francisco Giants, and target right-hander Sam Dyson.
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Dyson currently has a 2.52 ERA in 50.0 innings pitched this season and while his 47 strikeouts won’t blow anybody away, his low walk-rate (1.3 BB/9) will. The 32-year-old would slot in right in the back-end of the A’s bullpen and give the team a good mix between reliability and flash.
San Francisco’s recent hot streak could limit the chances that they sell but even if they don’t go all out and trade away players like Madison Bumgarner and Will Smith, Dyson should still net them a solid prospect or two.
He won’t exactly come cheap, but the A’s shouldn’t have to break the prospect bank for him either.