The Oakland Athletics have traded for Kansas City Royals starting pitcher Homer Bailey. Bailey has a record of 7-6 with a 4.80 ERA in 90 innings pitched this season. Bailey is a pitcher that had a lot of promise as a top prospect with the Cincinnati Reds. Bailey is making the league minimum so the A’s are on the hook for around 250 K for the remainder of the season.
Starter Homer Bailey has been traded to Oakland from Kansas City, sources tell ESPN. He's making the minimum, so the A's will pay him only $250,000 or so for the remainder of the season.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) July 14, 2019
Oakland Athletics Trade For Homer Bailey
Homer Bailey was the seventh overall pick in the 2004 draft. Prior to the 2007 season, Bailey was considered the top prospect in the Reds farm system. On June 7th, 2007 Bailey made his major league debut for the Reds in a game vs the Cleveland Indians.
Bailey has had a 13-year major league career spending the first 12 years with the Reds. He was traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers prior to this season but was released before playing in one game. With the Dodgers paying the remainder of his contract the Royals signed Bailey for the league minimum. Bailey is now joining his fourth organization with the Athletics.
Bailey’s career record is 74-83 with a 4.58 ERA. In 1320 innings Bailey has 1082 strikeouts with 445 walks issued and allowing 1376 hits for a career WHIP of 1.379. While these numbers don’t jump off the page Bailey has pitched some of the best games in his career in the last month.
In his last six starts, Bailey has given up eleven earned runs in 35 innings pitched. Also, Bailey has allowed only 30 hits with thirteen bases on balls.
The Oakland Effect
Sitting in second place in the American League West the Athletics are only six games behind the first place Houston Astros. While the division is certainly in striking distance the Athletics are currently the second wild card team with a half-game lead over the Cleveland Indians and just a game and a half behind the overall leader Tampa Bay Rays.
The Athletics are hoping Bailey can provide quality innings as a starting pitcher or as a possible relief pitcher.
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