Swingin' A's » Signings

A’s Notes: Jerry Blevins DFA’d & Outman Recalled

Joseph Lopez — Tue, 24 May 2011 02:42:18 +0000

The A’s remained relatively active on Monday, as the team announced that reliever Jerry Blevins was designated for assignment. Blevins, 27, was DFA’d to make room for starting pitcher Josh Outman, who rejoins the rotation after missing nearly two years due to Tommy John surgery.

Blevins had some trouble this season in Oakland’s bullpen, posting a 4.40 ERA in 14.1 innings pitched. Opponents had been hitting a cool .260/.394/.480 against the lefty this season.

Outman, meanwhile, rejoins Oakland’s rotation after going 4-1 with a 3.48 ERA for them in 2009. He suffered an elbow injury in June of 2009, and underwent Tommy John surgery that same year.

He was part of Oakland’s fifth-starter race during spring training, but ultimately lost out to Brandon McCarthy. Oddly enough, however, Outman is expected to start in place of the injured McCarthy on Monday night against the Angels.

The A’s would like to see Outman carry some of the success he’s had in Triple-A over into the big leagues. In his last four starts for Triple-A Sacramento, Outman went 4-0 with a 2.35 ERA. The A’s rotation is, without question, the team’s biggest strength this season, but with Dallas Braden, Tyson Ross, and McCarthy all missing action, guys like Outman will have to step up and make the most out their opportunities.

A’s Sign Lenny DiNardo

Joseph Lopez — Sun, 22 May 2011 15:43:16 +0000

The Oakland Athletics brought back a familiar face on Saturday by signing pitcher Lenny DiNardo. DiNardo, 31, last pitched in the majors in 2009. He was released from the Boston Red Sox after spring training, and has been pitching for the independent Atlantic League as a member of the Long Island Ducks.

DiNardo pitched for the A’s from 2007-2008, and he will return to the Oakland organization by reporting to the team’s Triple-A affiliate team. In six big league seasons, DiNardo is 10-18 with a 5.36 ERA in 257.0 innings.

The A’s, while having entered the season with some added pitching depth, have been derailed a bit after Dallas Braden, Tyson Ross, Brandon McCarthy, and Rich Harden landed on the disabled-list. The DiNardo signing, while nothing big, gives Oakland a little pitching depth.

The signing was originally reported by Mike Ashmore of the Hunterdon County Democrat (via Twitter), and later reported by MLBTradeRumors.com.

A’s Ink Three Venezuelan Free Agents

Joseph Lopez — Fri, 02 Jul 2010 22:23:14 +0000

The Oakland A’s inked three Venezuelan free agents on the first day of the international signing period. The A’s picked up left-handed pitchers Anderson Mata, and Jose Torres. The team also picked up third baseman Renato Nunez. According to the A’s official site, once the players undergo physicals and are cleared by the MLB, they will be moved to the A’s Dominican Republic Complex.

For more on the signings, you can visit the A’s official site. Below is an excerpt from the article that tells a little about the players.

Nuñez, 6-foot-1 and 185 pounds at 16, hails from Valencia. His signing bonus was reported as $2.2 million by Baseball America.

Mata, 5-foot-11 and 165 pounds, is a 17-year-old from Margarita. Torres, 16 and from Caracas, is a lean 6-foot-2 and 155 pounds.

In addition, Oakland announced an agreement with catcher John Nester, its 39th-round pick in the 2010 First-Year Player Draft, out of Clemson University.