In an expected move, the Oakland Athletics announced today that right-hander Ross Stripling had been reinstated from the IL after progressing in his rehab schedule over the past week. The team also announced that Brady Basso, who just made his final start of the season on Wednesday, would be the odd-man out and be optioned to the Arizona Complex League.
Stripling is 2-11 this season with Oakland with a 6.08 ERA in 21 games (14 starts). He began the season in the rotation, compiling a 5.72 ERA in those 14 starts, but after a stint on the IL, was moved to the bullpen in August.
Basso, 26, had an interesting beginning to his career this season, being called up on May 14 from Double-A because the team needed an extra arm with so many of their members of the rotation going down right around that time. Paul Blackburn landed on the IL the day before, and Alex Wood would go on the IL for what turned out to be the remainder of the 2024 campaign the day after Basso arrived. The A's would send Basso down a day later, replacing him with Aaron Brooks.
Basso ended up making his big-league debut a couple of weeks later on May 31 in Atlanta, coming out of the bullpen and tossing a clean inning with one strikeout. He'd stick around for one more appearance before another quick trip to the minors.
Even though he made a number of appearances spread throughout the summer, Basso only pitched at the Oakland Coliseum two times, and one of those was the second-to-last game that was ever played there.
He finished September with a 1-1 record in four starts, holding a 3.79 ERA in 19 innings, and looking like he could be in contention for a spot in the A's rotation at the beginning of next season.
Stripling will likely get one more appearance this weekend before hitting free agency. He has previously said that he would be interested in re-signing with the A's, even with the team headed to a minor-league ballpark in 2025.
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The Rolling Stones knew what they were talking about while belting out "You Can't Always Get What You Want." It's very possible New York Yankees general manager Brian Cashman will find himself humming that tune ahead of the July 31 MLB trade deadline. The Yankees, like several contenders, are shopping for a power-hitting third baseman. Arizona Diamondbacks All-Star slugger Eugenio Suarez sits atop everyone's list. Running a distant second and third are Colorado Rockies third baseman Ryan McMahon and Pittsburgh Pirates Gold Glover Ke'Bryan Hayes. After that, it could be slim pickings. Should Cashman find himself scrambling to make a deal, here are a couple of new names entering the conversation. "Amed Rosario would be a good fit for Yankees," the New York Post's Jon Heyman reported Monday. "Played a lot of 3B this year. .802 lifetime OPS vs. lefties (.845 this year). Suarez is top target but many would qualify as upgrades." Rosario is hitting .271 with five home runs and 18 RBIs this season for the Washington Nationals. But the nine-year veteran has big-market experience, making his MLB debut with the New York Mets in 2017. The 29-year-old is making $2 million this season and will be a free agent after the World Series, according to Spotrac. But wait, there's more. "Other possible third-base trade targets include Royals All-Star Maikel Garcia — in theory, Kansas City would have interest in one of the Yankees’ outfielders to play left field for them," The Athletic's Jim Bowden reported Monday. Garcia, who made the American League roster for the 2025 MLB All-Star Game, is hitting .291 this season with eight home runs and 41 RBIs. The 25-year-old is in his fourth big-league season and is making almost $775,000 this season, according to Spotrac. Garcia still has four years of arbitration eligibility remaining, so he won't come cheap. Make sure to bookmark Yankees On SI to get all your daily New York Yankees news, interviews, breakdowns and more! MLB Trade Rumors: Yankees Linked To Red-Hot Reliever Yankees Linked to Former Outfielder in Juicy Trade Rumor Yankees Could Land Infielder With World Series MVP Comparison Will Yankees Use Red-Hot Prospect As Trade Bait? Yankees One-Stop Shopping Pirates?
The Golden State Warriors have had an underwhelming offseason thus far and the main headline surrounding the franchise remains the future of young forward Jonathan Kuminga. Kuminga remains a restricted free agent and after falling out of Steve Kerr’s rotation last season, his role entering next season is up in the air. Due to this, many believe that Kuminga’s time in Golden State is set to come to an end this offseason but the young forward is still deciding on what his next move will be, which will also be reliant on the Warriors due to them likely having to move him in a sign-and-trade deal. With Kuminga’s time in Golden State likely nearing an end, Sports Illustrated’s Jackson Caudell and Rohan Raman recently came up with a three-team mock trade that would send Kuminga to the Phoenix Suns. In the trade, the Suns would receive Kuminga and Moses from the Warriors and they would send Grayson Allen, Royce O’Neal and an unprotected 2032 first-round pick to Golden State. The Atlanta Hawks are the third team in this mock trade and they would acquire Nick Richards from Phoenix. This would be an interesting move for the Warriors as they would not only be moving on from a young player in Kuminga, but Moses Moody as well. Despite this, adding a sharpshooting guard in Grayson Allen, who also excels on the defensive end, could be a massive boost that the Warriors need. O’Neal would also give the Warriors a solid scorer and defender at the forward position that would allow them to upgrade their bench. By making this move, the Warriors would get older as they would swap two young players for two veterans but the additions of Allen and O’Neal, along with potential free agent signings, could help them compete for a title next season with Stephen Curry, Draymond Green and Jimmy Butler leading the way.
The Chicago Blackhawks, a crowded goaltending situation and trade rumors involving the Edmonton Oilers have fans wondering if the Stars' rivals could soon upgrade their crease before training camp. With training camp approaching, Chicago general manager Kyle Davidson has five goalies under contract, including Spencer Knight, Arvid Soderblom, Drew Commesso, newly signed Stanislav Berezhnoy, and veteran Laurent Brossoit. Only two NHL roster spots are available, which has fueled speculation that Brossoit could be moved to a contender, with Edmonton emerging as a leading candidate. For Stars fans, seeing the Oilers potentially bolster their crease should raise eyebrows. Edmonton, fresh off a deep playoff run, is looking to avoid the same issues that hurt them late in the postseason. "The Blackhawks have too many goalies and not enough spots, and Brossoit's contract and experience make him a natural trade chip for a team like the Oilers."-Julien Trekker Chicago's goalie logjam and Berezhnoy's recent signing are detailed further at NHL.com. Dallas could see its rival upgrade as Blackhawks explore trading Laurent Brossoit Brossoit, 32, carries a $3.3 million cap hit for one more season. Drafted by Calgary in 2011, he's appeared in 140 NHL games, including time with Edmonton, Winnipeg, and Vegas, where he helped the Golden Knights win the Stanley Cup in 2023. While Chicago decides, Drew Commesso continues to push for NHL time after posting a .911 save percentage over 39 AHL games. For a deeper look at Commesso's performance, his full profile is on Elite Prospects. I think if Edmonton lands Brossoit or even Commesso, Dallas may have to plan around a deeper Oilers team come playoff time, especially given how tight the Western race looks on paper.
NHL insider David Pagnotta revealed the Oilers are searching for a top-six scorer, which led NHL analyst Levi Pike to suggest Rickard Rakell and Bryan Rust. NHL insider David Pagnotta recently sat down with the 'Hello Hockey' podcast and explained that the Edmonton Oilers are specifically looking for a top-six forward. It's a reasonable goal, but one many competitors have as well. With little cap space and a lot of competition, the marketplace is going to favor those teams that are willing to spend or trade high-end prospects. NHL analyst Levi Pike named the Pittsburgh Penguins as one potential trade partner. Forwards Rickard Rakell and Bryan Rust are intriguing options, both capable of scoring 30 goals with team-friendly cap hits of roughly $5 million over the next three years. 'The rumour man, David Pagnotta, dropped in to have a chat on the Podcast of Hello Hockey. He suggested the Oilers are searching for a top-six scorer. Let's explore a potential target. The reason that the Pittsburgh Penguins have been targeted is that they possess two desirable forwards. Both Bryan Rust and Rickard Rakell could put up 30 goals, and they do so economically. Both have very similar contracts remaining, around $5 million per year, for the next three years.' - Levi Pike That cost-effectiveness gives the Penguins' GM, Kyle Dubas, the leverage to demand a large return. And with Sidney Crosby not leaving, the Penguins are not in any particular rush to trade either player. For the Oilers, staying with the NHL's elite can be done through an injection into the forward group. Though Zach Hyman and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins have delivered, behind them, there is a precipitous drop-off in scoring depth. The Oilers need more than just Andrew Mangiapane in the event of injuries Andrew Mangiapane's joining does help, though much more is needed, especially with injuries always being the playoff kiss of death. Cap room is Edmonton's biggest challenge, where they have only $225,000 of space. Any actual improvement will likely have to be a dollar-in, dollar-out deal. Perhaps a player like Nicholas Robertson, who is headed for arbitration in Toronto, can be had. But barring something unexpected occurring, the Oilers may have to wait and hope for a miracle.
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