A's Should Not Trade Jeffrey Springs at the MLB Trade Deadline

Rumors have been swirling around who the A's will trade at the deadline. One of the names mentioned more frequently of late has been left-handed pitcher Jeffrey Springs. The A's biggest weakness is their pitching, starting and relief. Springs has been one of the A's best options this season in either role.

Since June 1st, Springs has held a 2.94 ERA in 49 innings with 37 strikeouts and nine walks. With this great performance has come rumors about teams being interested in Springs. The A's are out of postseason contention in 2025 with a 41-57 record at the break, so they'll likely make a couple of trades, but Springs shouldn't be including in their offloading.

Trading Springs, after only having him for half a season, would be a mistake. Springs is under contract through 2026, with a club option for 2027 for $15 million. His team-friendly contract is why teams are probably interested in Springs, but it should also be why the A's keep him.

Yes, the A's have quite a few pitching prospects nearing "MLB-ready" status, but there is no guarantee that those pitchers will succeed at the highest level. The hope is that they do, of course. That would be huge for a young A's team trying to reach contention. By having Springs on the staff, it ensures some stability in the rotation and gives the A's a veteran to rely on as their young pitchers mature.

Additionally, Springs has experience as both a starter and a reliever. So, if the A's can form a fierce rotation with their young arms, Springs can transition into a high-leverage arm out of the bullpen, or even offer some advice to younger pitchers that come up and are faced with a similar role.

Trading Springs, the only consistent starter on the staff, would be a step backward for the A's. Unless, of course, they are offered a package they can't refuse, but that is probably unlikely. Springs is a piece that has been performing for the club this season--both at home and away--and they'll need someone like that as they head into the 2026 campaign with the same goal of being a .500 club.

The A's should focus on trading players who are on expiring deals or that may not fit with the team. Those players are Luis Urías, Miguel Andujar, Gio Urshela, and Sean Newcomb.

In the end, trading Springs would signal to fans and the baseball world that the A's don't think they can compete as soon as next season, despite having extended two solid players in Brent Rooker and Lawrence Butler, as well as having two players that could potentially be vying for the AL Rookie of the Year award at season's end.

The core is ready and pretty much set. The goal should be upgrading the roster, not taking useful pieces away.