A's Calling Up Brooks Kriske as Bullpen Unravels

Last week we wrote about how the A's bullpen has been terrific, even after the Mason Miller trade, holding the second-best ERA in baseball since the deal. In the time that has passed since that went up, A's relievers have posted an 8.55 ERA, ranking them 29th in MLB.

With the struggles of the bullpen on full display on Tuesday night and a fresh arm needed, the A's are calling up veteran Brooks Kriske ahead of Wednesday's contest against the Philadelphia Phillies, according to the team.

The A's signed the 32-year-old to a minor-league deal in December, and he has been in Triple-A with the Las Vegas Aviators to begin the season. He's made 10 appearances totaling 16 innings and holds a 2.25 ERA (3.63 FIP) with a 1.38 WHIP. Batters are also hitting just .196 against him this season.

Kriske looks like the type of arm that can go multiple innings — which the A's desperately need right now — and he's had a lot of success piling up strikeouts, holding a 37.3% strikeout rate. The big downside here is that he's also running a 16.4% walk rate, so if the strikeout numbers dip as major league hitters don't chase, then those walks will get him in trouble.

The concern will be if his Triple-A success will translate this time around.

In his big-league career, the righty has totaled 39 2/3 innings since 2020, playing for the Yankees, Orioles, Royals, Cubs and Twins. He's compiled a 9.53 ERA (7.10 FIP) in those innings, with his walk rate being in line with where it's at right now at 16.8%, but his strikeout rate dropping to 22.5%.

He's the best of the options the A's currently have in the minors, which is why this morning we made the case for the A's making a half-measure move. Essentially, the team needs to add an arm via waiver claim or trade to give them a boost. Kriske is a nice short-term option with some upside, but not a long-term solution. He's not the move we were talking about.

The A's announced the official move on Wednesday morning, optioning Tyler Ferguson down to Triple-A Las Vegas. He made his season debut with the club on Tuesday, providing 1 1/3 innings and giving up four earned runs on 26 pitches, making him unavailable for Wednesday's game.

The A's 40-man roster now stands at 41, meaning that another player will have to be designated for assignment in order to make room for Kriske. That move has not been announced yet, likely because the player hasn't been notified at this time. Expect that news to come out before game time.