Athletics Land a Potentially Crucial Bullpen Piece

Because the A's feel like they have a good squad right now, A's GM David Forst has said he doesn't feel forced to make a trade just because of the deadline. He views the current team as a possible contender next season, so he does not want to break it up.

So, instead of swinging trades for pitching help, they've gone to the waivers a few times in the last few weeks, including the move to land Scott Blewett from the Cardinals.

Athletics Claim Left-Hander Connor Thomas

After acquiring Blewitt, the team has now made a waiver claim from the Atlanta Braves for the southpaw, Connor Thomas.

Thomas, 28, was a former fifth-round selection back in the 2019 MLB Draft and has worked his way up the Cardinals and Brewers farm systems, and would ultimately debut in 2025 with Milwaukee. A brutal 12 runs allowed in 5.1 innings wouldn't keep him in the majors long.

Over the offseason, he landed in Atlanta and has pitched 6.1 innings there this season. He allowed 15 earned runs in that time, which is obviously yet another brutal MLB stint for Thomas, but it's not all just bad for him.

He's spent most of his season in Triple-A Gwinnett, and he's done a really good job there. A 1.98 ERA in 27.1 innings there likely caught the A's attention. If he's able to have that kind of success as a left-hander in the A's bullpen, it could be huge for the team.

Connor Thomas Is the Perfect A's Reliever

Right now and next season, the A's are playing in Sutter Health Park, a minor league site. This is until the team's stadium in Las Vegas is ready in 2028. While they stay in West Sacramento, having Thomas could be a solid bullpen arm.

With Jose Suarez potentially drawing trade interest, and Hogan Harris the only other southpaw in Mark Kotsay's bullpen, the team could use Thomas sooner rather than later.

It's also possible teams call on Hogan Harris before Monday's deadline, and because Kotsay loves his lefty-lefty matchups in the late innings, Connor Thomas could have a role in the big league bullpen within the next week.