Athletics: Breaking News, Rumors & Highlights

Chicago Cubs Just Showed Why a Free Agent Deadline Wouldn't Work

Earlier in the week, there was plenty of discussion from MLB Commissioner, Rob Manfred, about his desire for a signing deadline during free agency. Other leagues have a deadline, and that day is always a big deal for those sports.

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Why the San Francisco Giants Latest Signing is Quietly Good News for the A's

The San Francisco Giants are having a fairly .500 offseason, much to the dismay of their fans, while signing players that may help them incrementally, but not push them over the edge into real contention in a tough NL West.

Athletics News / Stadium Rant / January 10

MLB Free Agency Deadline Is Another Stupid Idea By Rob Manfred

Major League Baseball commissioner Rob Manfred said he is in favor of an MLB Free Agency deadline, especially with how slow things seem to be moving this offseason.

Jeff McNeil News / Oakland Athletics on SI / January 10

How Does Jeff McNeil Project in His First Season Outside of New York?

Back in December, the A's made a pretty sizable upgrade at second base, acquiring Jeff McNeil from the New York Mets, and it didn't cost them a whole lot to do so, with DSL righty Yordan Rodriguez going back to New York.

MLB News / Yardbarker Quizzes

The 'MLB Home Run Derby champions' quiz

MLB held its inaugural Home Run Derby event at the 1985 MLB All-Star Game. How many of the winners can you name in five minutes?

The 'Home run leaders by MLB franchise' quiz

The 'Active MLB home run leaders' quiz

The 'Most home runs by a switch hitter' quiz

Athletics News / Stadium Rant / January 10

MLB 2026 Power Rankings: Toronto’s Torrid Offseason Looming Large Early

The MLB is nearly a month away from the first pitchers and catchers reporting to spring training, unofficially kicking off the 2026 season. As of Jan. 9, the first of many power rankings appeared online, showing who might have the upper edge at the start of the season.

NFL News / Yardbarker

The 25 most memorable sports plays of 2025

When it comes to unforgettable plays within the 2025 sports calendar, this was truly a special year. Here's our rankings of the 25 best.

Athletics News / Oakland Athletics on SI / January 10

Pittsburgh Pirates Swap with A's That Makes Sense For Both Clubs

The Pittsburgh Pirates could use some bats, and the A's are still looking to add some pitching this winter, so how likely is it that these clubs come together on a deal?

Shea Langeliers News / Oakland Athletics on SI / January 9

What the A's Arbitration Decision Means for Shea Langeliers' Extension Chances

Thursday was the deadline for teams and their players that are arbitration eligible to come to terms on their contracts for 2026, and after the A's DFA'd JJ Bleday back in November, and came to terms with backup catcher Austin Wynns earlier that month, Shea Langeliers was the only eligible player for the A's this year.

Athletics News / New Baseball Media / January 9

2026 Transactions: Braves Claim Waldichuk, White Sox Claim Romo

Most of the news on January 8 revolved around the arbitration exchange deadline and who did and didn’t re-up with the team. However, there was additional action on the day.

Athletics News / Last Word On Sports / January 8

2026 MLB Arbitration Tracker: Complete List of Deadline Day Settlements

MLB’s Arbitration deadline has officially passed, culminating in a flurry of activity that saw dozens of arbitration-eligible players reach one-year and multi-year contract agreements with their clubs.

Athletics News / MLB on ClutchPoints / January 8

Braves claim Athletics pitcher, DFA infielder with latest roster moves

The Atlanta Braves continued reshaping their roster Thursday, making a pair of calculated moves tied to pitching depth and 40-man flexibility. The Braves claimed a left-handed arm off waivers while opening a roster spot, signaling a low-risk approach to reinforcing organizational depth ahead of spring training.

Athletics News / Oakland Athletics on SI / January 8

Atlanta Braves Claim Intriguing Former Top Prospect From A's

The hope was that the A's could sneak him through waivers, but on Thursday the team announced that left-hander Ken Waldichuk had been claimed off waivers by the Atlanta Braves.

MLB News / Yardbarker

The 25 greatest pitching seasons from the modern MLB era

America's favorite pastime has more memorable performances than any sport. As such, figuring out which pitchers had the best seasons ever is no easy task.

Athletics News / MLB Trade Rumors / January 8

Braves Claim Ken Waldichuk, Designate Vidal Brujan

The Braves have claimed left-hander Ken Waldichuk off the Athletics’ waiver wire, as announced by both teams. Infielder Vidal Brujan was designated for assignment to clear space on Atlanta’s 40-man roster.

Zack Littell News / Just Baseball / January 8

Top Landing Spots for Free Agent Zack Littell

The trend of signing a bullpen arm and transitioning them into a starter is not new. Maybe amplified recently, but not new. Zack Littell was a product of this strategy in 2024 when the Tampa Bay Rays once again worked their pitching magic, turning him from a middle-of-the-road relief pitcher to a 3.63 ERA, 3.88 FIP starter.

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The 'NFL Playoff rushing-TD leaders' quiz

The 'Last QB to win a playoff game by team' quiz

The '2025 leading receiver by team' quiz

The 'NFL passing TD leaders by year' quiz

Athletics News / MLB Trade Rumors / January 8

2026 Arbitration Tracker

Today is the deadline for players and teams to exchange figures in arbitration — an annual deadline that leads to a slew of one-year deals and, typically, a handful of multi-year deals.

Athletics News / Just Baseball / January 8

Playing GM: 3 Moves To Complete the Athletics Roster for 2026

The 2025 Athletics had, at least arguably, a top-10 offense in Major League Baseball. They only finished 12th in runs per game, but their 219 home runs ranked seventh, their .749 OPS ranked eighth, and their 105 wRC+ ranked 10th, as did their 32.3 offensive runs above average (per FanGraphs).

Athletics News / Oakland Athletics on SI / January 8

Boston Red Sox Free Agent a Fit For the A's?

While the A's haven't been terribly active this offseason, they've largely made the additions they're going to make. They've added a number of players on minor-league deals to shore up their depth, while also trading for second baseman Jeff McNeil in a salary dump from the New York Mets, and extending left fielder Tyler Soderstrom.

Athletics News / New Baseball Media / January 8

Looking at 2025-26 Mexican Winter League Numbers & Performances

With 2026 Spring Training around the corner, now seems like a good time to take a look at what went down in the winter leagues. The Mexican Winter League was home to several notable names, including the likes of Jose Urquidy, Isaac Paredes, and some other blasts from the past.

MLB News / MLB Trade Rumors / January 7