Athletics: Breaking News, Rumors & Highlights

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 / 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.

Jason Giambi 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

Shea Langeliers News / Athletics Nation / January 8

A’s, Shea Langeliers Agree On Contract To Avoid Arbitration

According to MLBTR, the A’s and Shea Langeliers are in agreement on a contract for 2026 that will pay the catcher $5.25M and avoid the dreaded arbitration hearing.

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 / 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.

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.

Scott McGough News / Athletics Nation / January 8

2025 Athletics Season In Review: Scott McGough

Season In Review continues and this morning’s subject is another reliever. Right-hander Scott McGough didn’t start the year with the A’s but he did finish the year as a member of the Athletics’ bullpen.

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.

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 / 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

Cubs claim Ryan Rolison off waivers from the White Sox

The Cubs have claimed left-hander Ryan Rolison off waivers from the White Sox, per ESPN’s Jesse Rogers. The Sox designated Rolison for assignment when they needed to open a 40-man roster spot for free agent signee Sean Newcomb.

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

The '2025 leading receiver by team' quiz

The 'NFL passing TD leaders by year' quiz

The 'Most sacks in an NFL season' quiz

The 'Last 4K-yard passer by NFL team' quiz

Nick Martinez News / Just Baseball / January 7

Top Landing Spots for Free Agent Nick Martinez

The career path of Nick Martinez has been filled with ups and downs. After struggling earlier in his career as a Ranger, Martinez was a somewhat early adopter of the overseas reset route.

Athletics News / MLB Trade Rumors / January 8

White Sox Among Teams Interested In Griffin Canning

The White Sox have added some depth to the rotation already this winter, signing lefties Anthony Kay and Sean Newcomb to respective two-year and one-year contracts ($12MM for Kay; $4.5MM for Newcomb).

Athletics News / MLB on ClutchPoints / January 6

Athletics denied Vegas trademark due to being ‘too generic’

The Athletics’ planned move to Las Vegas encountered an unexpected obstacle Tuesday, as a key branding effort tied to the relocation hit a legal roadblock.

Athletics News / Field Level Media / January 6

Report: Trademark application denied for 'Las Vegas Athletics'

The Athletics have been playing Major League Baseball for more than 100 years and yet the longevity was not enough to secure a new trademark in advance of the franchise's future move to Las Vegas.

Athletics News / Oakland Athletics on SI / January 6

A's Running into Issue with 'Las Vegas Athletics' Trademark

When the A's left Oakland after the 2024 season and decided to roll with no city designation for their interim years in Sacramento, that made things a little more difficult for people who produce A's content to find the right eyeballs.

Athletics News / Yardbarker / January 7