The Athletics outrighted three players, according to the transaction tracker at MiLB.com. Right-hander James Kaprielian, left-hander Sam Long and catcher Carlos Pérez have all been sent outright to Triple-A Las Vegas. It wasn’t previously reported that these players were removed from the roster, so this opens up three spots on the Oakland 40-man.
Kaprielian, 29, had a frustrating season in 2023. He was able to toss 253 1/3 innings over 2021 and 2022 with a solid 4.16 earned run average but required shoulder surgery in December and never really got on track after that. The early results were poor and he wound up being used as a frequently-optioned depth arm throughout the first half. He then landed on the injured list in June due to a shoulder strain and required yet another surgery in August. He finished the year with a 6.34 earned run average in 61 innings.
The righty is just shy of three years of major league service time but was set to qualify for arbitration as a Super Two player this winter. MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz projected a salary of $1.5MM but it seems the A’s weren’t planning to tender him a contract. Any of the 29 other teams could have stepped up and claimed him off waivers but it seems they all passed, based on this outright. This is his first career outright and he is just shy of three years of major league service time, meaning he technically can’t reject this outright assignment immediately. But he will qualify for minor league free agency on the fifth day after the World Series, as a player with parts of seven seasons in the minors.
Long, 28, was acquired from the Giants in a cash deal in April. He tossed 45 innings for the A’s this year with a 5.60 ERA, 16.1% strikeout rate, 10.6% walk rate and 42.7% ground ball rate. This is his first career outright and he has less than three years of service time, meaning he doesn’t have the right to reject this assignment right now. But like Kaprielian, he’ll qualify for minor league free agency in a few weeks.
Pérez, 33 this month, signed a minor league deal with the A’s in March and quickly cracked the roster. He got into 68 games this year, his first major league action since 2018, hitting .226/.293/.357 with subpar defensive metrics. He was eligible for arbitration with a projected $1.2MM salary but the A’s and the other clubs in the league passed on the chance to tender him a contract. He has over three years of service time, which gives him the right to elect free agency right away if he so wishes.
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