Athletics: Breaking News, Rumors & Highlights

Padres Nearing Deal With Jose Leclerc

The Padres are close to a deal with veteran reliever José Leclerc, as first reported by journalist Mike Rodriguez. It’ll be a minor league deal for the Munger English Sports Management client once it’s complete, Jon Heyman of the New York Post adds.

Features

The Morning Bark

The Quiz of the Day

SMW FAQ: A complete guide to MLB local broadcasts in 2026

The following article "SMW FAQ: A complete guide to MLB local broadcasts in 2026" originally appeared on Sports Media Watch. Over the last several years, baseball fans have had to navigate significant changes in finding and accessing local broadcasts for their favorite teams.

Athletics News / Last Word On Sports / March 23

Some 2026 MLB Awards Predictions

We’re mere hours away from Opening Day 2026 in Major League Baseball. This is typically when you get a ton of awards predictions. So, we will follow suit with some prognostications based on statistical analysis, recent trends, and middle-aged intuition.

Athletics News / Stadium Rant / March 23

2026 American League West Preview

The American League West has seen three different member ball clubs advance to the American League Championship Series in four seasons. On two of those occasions, its teams won the pennant and the World Series.

Cincinnati Reds News / Yardbarker Quizzes

The 'Active 40-homer MLB seasons' quiz

There are 24 active MLB players with at least one 40-home run season under their belt. How many of those players can you name in five minutes?

The 'Last 30-HR season by MLB team' quiz

The '50-HR, .300 average MLB seasons' quiz

The 'Last 200-K pitcher by MLB team' quiz

Colby Thomas News / Oakland Athletics on SI / March 23

What Option of Colby Thomas Means For the A's Roster Plans to Begin the Season

The position player side of the A's roster is now in focus, following the team's latest transaction. Over the weekend, the club decided to option Colby Thomas, and while the move hasn't been announced by the club, it's on the team's transactions log online.

Athletics News / Yardbarker

One storyline to follow for every MLB team in 2026

As Spring Training opens for 2026, all 30 teams have high hopes and big questions. These are the storylines to follow for each team heading into Opening Day.

Red Sox to sign former Yankees relief pitcher ahead of Opening Day

MLB announces 80-game suspension for Johan Rojas

Mets star gets help from former teammate after clubhouse issues

Three comeback arms to watch in National League East

Five X factors in the AL Central

Denzel Clarke News / Athletics Nation / March 23

AN Exclusive: Blogfather Observes The Wild Denzelope In Its Natural Habitat

No sooner was he back from the WBC, Denzel Clarke was greeting me in the dugout with a secret handshake only he knew about, grinning at my confusion and then plopping down onto the bench for an interview.

Athletics News / Athletics Nation / March 23

A’s beat Brewers in Spring Breakout!

The Brewers were able to kick things off pretty early against touted lefty Jamie Arnold. Luis Pena singled to score Brewers top prospect Jesus Made. Blake Burke’s single made it 2-0 and a third run would be tacked on against Arnold via passed ball.

Athletics News / Just Baseball / March 22

Athletics Betting Preview for 2026

It’s easy to look at the 2025 season that was for the Athletics and feel pretty underwhelmed. Yes, turning in a 76-win campaign is not enough to instill a whole lot of confidence for the future, but when looking at the bigger picture, this team is one on the rise.

Athletics News / Oakland Athletics on SI / March 22

Biggest Unresolved Concern For the A's Before Opening Day

It's no secret that the A's pitching staff leaves a little to be desired heading into the 2026 campaign. Last season they ranked 27th in team ERA with a 4.71 over the course of the season, which isn't going to cut it this year if they're hoping to take a big step forward and reach the postseason for the first time since 2020.

Athletics News / Oakland Athletics on SI / March 21

Who Stands to Benefit From the A's Latest Roster Cut?

The Athletics made a pair of moves on Friday, one that was expected and one that came as a slight surprise. Both second baseman Zack Gelof and right-handed reliever Tyler Ferguson were optioned to Triple-A Las Vegas yesterday, which has opened up the A's bullpen mix moving into the 2026 campaign.

Athletics News / Last Word On Sports / March 21

MLB Spring Breakout: The Past, Present, and Future

Baseball fans beware! Even with the World Baseball Classic finalized, there’s still plenty to look forward to before Opening Day. All 30 teams will be participating in MLB’s Spring Breakout one week prior to Opening Day.

Athletics News / Yardbarker

25 MLB players that could be traded during the 2026 season

The 2026 MLB season is right around the corner, and it is never too early to start thinking about how it might unfold. Seemingly, every year, we have a decent handle on who should contend and who is likely to struggle, which makes looking ahead to the trade deadline inevitable.

Athletics News / Oakland Athletics on SI / March 20

What Luis Severino Brings to the Table as A's Opening Day Starter

While the Athletics’ Opening Day roster isn’t set in stone with a few Spring Training games remaining, we do now know one thing for certain. On Thursday, A’s manager Mark Kotsay announced that Luis Severino will take the mound on Opening Day against Toronto next week.

Liam Hendriks News / Field Level Media / March 20

Twins release 3-time All-Star closer Liam Hendriks

The Minnesota Twins released three-time All-Star closer Liam Hendriks on Friday. The 37-year-old Australian right-hander was a non-roster invite to spring training, where he allowed two runs in six innings while striking out four and walking three in six relief appearances.

Click here to get Yardbarker's Quiz of the Day emailed to you!

The 'Most 5-three-pointer NBA games' quiz

The 'NCAA basketball tournament mascots' quiz

The 'Oldest 30-point game by NBA team' quiz

The 'Active 100-catch NFL seasons' quiz

Athletics News / Oakland Athletics on SI / March 20

West Sacramento Mayor Discusses Possible Expansion

With the Athletics set to move to Las Vegas for the 2028 season, the future of Major League Baseball in the Central Valley is uncertain. After the A’s move to Sin City, would expansion to Sacramento be a possibility?

Brent Rooker News / MLB on ClutchPoints / March 20

Athletics OF Brent Rooker smashes salary cap idea ahead of expected labor dispute

The next expected labor dispute in MLB is likely to occur in December 2026. With the idea of a potential salary cap being implemented, it appears Brent Rooker, the Athletics’ outfielder, doesn’t believe it will fix much of anything for the league.

Athletics News / Just Baseball / March 20

The Fascinating Correlation Between Framing and ABS Results

Late last September, MLB announced it would implement the long-awaited ABS (Automated Ball-Strike) challenge system in major league games. With this announcement came excitement, speculation, and curiosity about how it would work and which players would adapt best to this system.

Athletics News / Last Word On Sports / March 20

A Look Back at the Padres’ 2025 Deadline: Grading the Moves That Will Define 2026

In 2025, the San Diego Padres had one of the most frenzied trade deadlines in recent memory. General Manager A.J. Preller traded away 14 players and brought eight onto the club.

Athletics News / Just Baseball / March 19

Could Max Muncy Be the Athletics’ Next Breakout?

Over the past few seasons, the Athletics have had their fair share of breakouts. Brent Rooker, Lawrence Butler, Tyler Soderstrom, Shea Langeliers, and Nick Kurtz have all had their defining moments transitioning to All-Star-caliber players.

Athletics News / New Baseball Media / March 18

2025-26 MLB Offseason Recap: Cincinnati Reds

The Reds made the playoffs in 2025, the first time the organization had made the playoffs since the pandemic-shortened 2020 season. Last season could be considered the first major step forward for the franchise since it embarked on a rebuild four years ago.

Kevin McGonigle News / Minor League Baseball on SI / March 16

Kevin McGonigle Furthers Case for Tigers' Opening Day Roster in Latest Spring Game

Shortstop Kevin McGonigle has been one of the most intriguing prospects to follow this spring. And with his latest spring training performance, the 21-year-old may have improved his odds of cracking the Detroit Tigers' Opening Day roster.

Athletics News / New Baseball Media / March 16

2026 MLB Spring Breakout: AL Prospects to Watch

With the 2026 MLB Spring Breakout starting soon, we continue our preview of the event with a look at notable American League prospects to hone in on. The event will give fans a good look at many first-round picks from 2025, plus some breakout prospects from a year ago.

Athletics News / Stadium Rant / March 16

World Baseball Classic’s Thrilling Final Four

With the conclusion of the World Baseball Classic’s quarterfinals, the stage is set for the remaining four teams to compete. The first round of winner-take-all play is over, and the world will see some of the best baseball ever to be played in the history of the sport.