The Oakland Athletics are not done adding quality arms to the roster. After bringing in two veterans from the San Francisco Giants this winter, the Athletics will acquire T.J. McFarland from the Los Angeles Dodgers on Tuesday in exchange for cash.
The Oakland A’s acquired minor league left-handed pitcher T.J. McFarland from the Los Angeles Dodgers for cash considerations and selected him to the 40-man roster.
— Oakland A’s Communications (@AthleticsPR) March 26, 2024
Oakland possessed the worst pitching staff in Major League Baseball, per many stats like ERA, in 2023. Although the team added a few inexpensive arms to strengthen the unit, spring injuries have quickly depleted much of that depth. The Athletics will acquire McFarland for bullpen depth and he will immediately join the active and 40-man-roster.
Oakland Athletics Acquire T.J. McFarland
McFarland has appeared in 11 big league seasons for five different teams, including a previous stint in Oakland in 2020. However, the 34-year-old appeared in just three games with the New York Mets last year and spent most of the season in Triple-A with the Mets and the Baltimore Orioles. This came after McFarland struggled mightily in 2022 with the St. Louis Cardinals.
McFarland made significant adjustments after his awful 2022. He changed his mechanics and worked on his slider to be more effective. While he didn’t get the chance to prove the validity of these adjustments at the major league level, they contributed to his success in the minors.
Veteran LHP T.J. McFarland has completely changed his slider as he tries to make the Mets’ roster as an NRI.
• Career horizontal break: 5 inches
• Mets debut: 21-inch sweeperLast year’s slider had a 16.7% whiff rate. Similar pitches to the new one (velo/mvmt) were above 30%. pic.twitter.com/OXEtsxXS9k
— Jacob Resnick (@Jacob_Resnick) February 28, 2023
The lefty pitched pretty well in a decent sample size at Triple-A. In 62 2/3 innings, McFarland posted a 2.3o ERA while striking out 10.8 batters per nine. This performance impressed the Dodgers, which is always a good sign, and he latched on with the team on a minor league deal this winter.
The Illinois native continued to pitch well this spring by producing a 1.53 ERA in 6 2/3 innings. However, the Dodgers did not have space on the major league team for him. Veterans like McFarland typically have opt-outs at the end of spring training in their contracts, and he likely would have exercised this option in the coming days.
Fortunately for him, though, multiple spots opened up in the Athletics bullpen over the past couple of weeks due to injuries. Free agent addition Trevor Gott recently underwent Tommy John surgery and will miss the entire season. Additionally, two southpaws, Sean Newcomb and Scott Alexander, will miss time with knee and rib injuries, respectively. The Athletics acquired McFarland likely due to the injuries to the two lefties, but he should have a chance at remaining in the majors.
How This Deal Impacts McFarland’s Service Time
McFarland enters the season with 8.050 years of service time. Reaching 10 years is a big deal for players for various reasons, like earning a full pension from the union. While he won’t reach ten years in 2024, McFarland will have an opportunity to stay on a bad Oakland roster throughout the season and accrue more time.
The Athletics acquired McFarland because better options don’t currently exist in the organization. Due to the lack of options, plus the lack of expectations, the A’s will likely provide McFarland a longer leash than a more competitive squad would. The Athletics likely won’t be quick to release him after a couple of bad outings, thus allowing him chances to bounce back and pitch well. If he can do this, McFarland might set himself up for a guaranteed deal next winter and cross the 10-year milestone in 2025.
Photo Credit: © Orlando Ramirez-USA TODAY Sports
