Jun 20, 2025; West Sacramento, California, USA; Athletics catcher Austin Wynns (29) bats during the game against the Cleveland Guardians at Sutter Health Park. Mandatory Credit: Sergio Estrada-Imagn Images Sergio Estrada-Imagn Images

A's Signing Provides Clue for Offseason's Direction

Originally posted on Oakland Athletics on SI
By Jason Burke | Last updated Nov 6, 2025 11:44 PM ET

Heading into the offseason, the A's had a decision to make at catcher. One option was to roll with Willie MacIver, who made his MLB debut with the club in 2025, and was a solid part-time player for the franchise. Given that Shea Langeliers plays nearly every day, not a lot is expected from the backup backstop on the field.

The other direction the A's could go would be to bring back Austin Wynns, who will be 35 next month, but was a solid offensive player in 2025. Across 40 total games with the Reds and A's, Wynns batted .291 with a .321 OBP and a 132 OPS+.

According to Robert Murray, the A's have signed Wynns to a one-year deal worth $1.1 million, plus incentives. Wynns was projected to make $1.8 million in arbitration this offseason, so this is certainly a decent savings for the club. The A's decided to DFA MacIver, and he has since been claimed by the Texas Rangers.

Whether he was in the lineup or not, Wynns was always active in the game planning for A's pitchers against the opposing offenses. We witnessed him nearly every day entering and exiting the clubhouse with a clipboard in hand. He also had a big impact on the A's pitching staff.

A's ERA before Wynns' arrival (through June 8): 5.68, ranked last in MLB.

A's ERA with Wynns on active roster (June 9 - August 5): 4.15, No. 14 in MLB.

A's ERA after Wynns injury (August 6 - end of season): 3.91 ERA, No. 11 in MLB.

Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

That seems to be some decent evidence for why Wynns was the pick for the A's this winter. The A's went 50-45 from the time that Wynns arrived through the end of the season, and the team holding a 4.03 ERA in that span played a decent role in that turnaround.

With the potent offense that the A's have, if they can put together a league average to top-10 pitching staff in baseball too, then they could be a legitimate force in baseball as early as next season.

While the A's have decided to bring Wynns back, this does seem to open up a spot on the roster for Daniel Susac when he's ready to make his own MLB debut. Susac, a former first-round pick of the A's, is Rule 5 eligible this winter and will need to be added to the 40-man roster to be protected from the Rule 5 Draft.

In his first season in Triple-A, Susac batted .275 with a .349 OBP and 18 home runs in 97 games played in the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League. Even though the stats looked nice, he still finished at a 95 wRC+, which is five percent below league average.

With the former first rounder holding an 86.9 mph average exit velocity and a propensity to pull the ball, there may be some work to be done to get his bat ready for the big leagues, even in a backup role. Until he's ready, Wynns is a pretty decent option to have backing up Langeliers.

This article first appeared on Oakland Athletics on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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