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Back in 2022 when the Oakland Athletics were trading away all of the players that the fans loved, one of the moves they made was to ship Chris Bassitt to the New York Mets in exchange for J.T. Ginn and Adam Oller. Ginn, 25, is still in the A's system, but Oller got a look in Oakland in '22, getting into 22 games (14 starts) and holding a 6.30 ERA. Towards the end of the year, it looked like he was beginning to turn a corner, but he landed on the IL, which ended his campaign.
He returned to the A's in 2023 as a member of the Opening Day roster, pitching in long relief. After a rough first month, he was optioned to Triple-A. After a couple of months with Las Vegas, he was eventually placed on waivers and claimed by the Seattle Mariners. He didn't reach the Majors again, but he stayed in their system for the rest of the season, and elected free agency at the end of the campaign.
A week after former teammate (2022 with the A's) Stephen Vogt was announced as the Cleveland Guardians new manager, the team scooped up Oller on a minor-league deal and made him a non-roster invitee to camp.
He didn't make the big-league team, so he began the season in Columbus, where he posted a 6.85 ERA across six outings (five starts). He missed a month of time, and returned to the roster on June 16. Upon his return, he was used exclusively out of the bullpen where he totaled 5 1/3 innings and gave up a total of six runs.
On Wednesday, the Guardians released him. He has good stuff, but his command has been shaky at times which has led to some issues. There is a good chance that he finds a new home in the coming days with the hope that his next team will be the one to unlock his potential.
More A's News:
"SELL" Flag Appears Behind Home Plate
Historic Home Runs Ball Lands in Oakland
More must-reads:
- Phillies superstar may be building Hall of Fame case
- Cubs catcher lost to horrific-looking injury on same day he returns from IL
- The 'American League WAR leaders' quiz
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Yankees Veteran Infielder Facing Possible IL Stint Amid Wild Card Fight
Aaron Boone said postgame that Paul Goldschmidt dinged his knee catching a pop-up Tuesday night. The Yankees manager said it “could be day to day, could be IL, we’ll see in 24 hours.” That’s another right-handed bat the Yankees could lose. Goldschmidt told reporters after Boone spoke that he didn't "think it's anything long term." The Yankees called it a "low-grade," knee sprain with inflammation. Goldschmidt’s 2025 isn’t MVP nostalgia. He’s sitting at .276/.331/.422 (.753 OPS), 10 home runs , 40 RBI, five stolen bases the kind of steady production that makes a lineup make sense. The recent picture is two-toned. Over his last seven games, he’s .261 with two HR. Over his last 15, he’s .186/.205/.395 (the whiffs showed up). Under the hood, he still has life. He has a 90 mph average exit velo, 42% hard-hit rate, .336 xwOBA this season. That’s not “vintage Goldy,” but it’s absolutely the profile you want walking up against a late lefty with traffic. We just saw why he matters. A week ago in Texas, he came cold off the bench and parked a pinch-hit go-ahead homer. That was the blueprint for how the Yankees planned to leverage him down the stretch, using him to win the two or three plate appearances a week that swing a series. Without him, first base defense becomes less reliable. Ben Rice played there Wednesday night. The right-handed pinch-hit lane vs. southpaws shrinks. Boone is suddenly asking kids to win grown-up at-bats. After losing Amed Rosario and Austin Slater, the other right-handed options, the Yankees are limited. There’s also the calendar. The Yankees head to St. Louis next, which will be Goldschmidt’s first trip back since leaving the Cardinals. If it’s truly day-to-day, everyone exhales. If it’s the IL, the Yankees don’t just lose a name; they lose their cleanest counterpunch in the exact moments that decide August.
Cowboys fans won't like Jerry Jones' update on Micah Parsons standoff
With the regular season approaching, the Dallas Cowboys should be aiming to extend EDGE Micah Parsons promptly. But they're still in no rush to do that. Parsons is set to play on the fifth-year option of his rookie contract in 2025 and has requested a trade. Dallas insists it has no plans to move the 26-year-old pass-rusher but hasn't clarified when it will extend him. Giving him a new deal before the regular-season opener against the Philadelphia Eagles on Sept. 4 at 8:20 p.m. ET (NBC, Peacock) seems wise. Dallas owner Jerry Jones, however, said that's not the team's deadline, nor does it need one. "No, not at all," Jones said Wednesday, via Jonah Javad of WFAA-TV in Dallas. "You don't have deadlines when you're playing under contract." Parsons is under contract, but that doesn't mean he must suit up. The EDGE could hold out of regular-season games, like former Cowboys star running back Emmitt Smith did in 1993. The Pro Football Hall of Famer missed the first two games of the season before becoming the league's highest-paid RB at that time. Parsons hasn't said whether he would hold out of regular-season games, but it's apparent he's unhappy with where things stand. "My mouth is closed," Parsons said Wednesday while leaving the practice field in Oxnard, California, via Field Level Media. Jones didn't say if talks with Parsons would resume when the Cowboys return to Texas for their second preseason game against the Baltimore Ravens. The matchup is scheduled for Saturday at 7 p.m. ET. The owner still seems confident Parsons will play on the fifth-year option if Dallas doesn't sign him before the start of the regular season. "Again, all you've got to go on are contracts," Jones said. "We are negotiating for a contract. When you do a contract, you would hope that after a negotiation, that's what both the team and player look to see what our obligations are. I have a lot of respect for the contract." Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott and wide receiver CeeDee Lamb played the last years of their rookie contracts. Perhaps Jones wants Parsons to do the same. Still, that would be silly. Paying the four-time Pro Bowler should be a no-brainer for the Cowboys, so they should stop wasting time and show him the money.
Commanders have major hang-up preventing them from paying Terry McLaurin what he's due
It’s been two weeks since Washington Commanders star wide receiver Terry McLaurin publicly revealed his trade request, and a resolution doesn’t appear to be in sight. Thanks to ESPN’s John Keim, we’re starting to get more insight into how the Commanders are approaching negotiations…and how they run counter to their star wide receiver’s financial desires. As we’ve assumed all along, the Commanders are wary of giving McLaurin a lucrative contract that would extend well into the player’s 30s. As Keim notes, the Commanders “rely heavily on analytics,” and those numbers aren’t particularly kind to receivers on the wrong side of 30. They may be onto something. Per ESPN Research, over the past five years, only three receivers 31 years or older have played at least 10 games and averaged 70-plus receiving yards per game (that number jumps to six players if you adjust for 60-plus receiving yards). Further, the team can simply point to the NFL landscape, as other teams are also clearly wary of paying aging wideouts. Among the 24 active wide receivers who are attached to the most guaranteed money, only Tyreek Hill was older than 30 when the deal was signed. McLaurin has continually pointed to his lack of mileage despite his age; he barely played during his first two years at Ohio State, meaning he may not have the same wear and tear as similar players his age. McLaurin is also naturally pointing to the stat sheet, as the receiver has continually produced despite uncertain QB play, uncertain ownership and a handful of different coaching staffs. Per Keim, the Commanders don’t want to pay McLaurin based on his past performance, with the front office preferring to shape any future contracts based on his projections for age-31-plus seasons. The organization also doesn’t want to set a new precedent by paying McLaurin, as it could convince future veterans to push for lucrative deals in their 30s. While McLaurin has taken the drastic measure of requesting a trade out of Washington, the organization is still convinced they have leverage in this showdown. After all, the player is still under contract for the 2025 campaign, meaning McLaurin will have to forfeit game checks if he sits out games. The team could even choose to slap him with the franchise tag next offseason (which could come in north of $30M), meaning they’re in full control of the player’s fate moving forward. The team is also skeptical that another suitor is going to willingly pay McLaurin the type of money he’s seeking. Per Keim, there’s doubts around the league about whether another team would be willing to meet the receiver’s demands. Even if a clear suitor does emerge, Keim makes it clear that Washington’s front office won’t give the star away without receiving a haul. We heard recently that McLaurin wasn’t necessarily seeking a deal that matched fellow 2019 draftee D.K. Metcalf‘s deal with the Steelers. However, Keim says Metcalf’s contract has generally served as a guide for McLaurin, but it’s uncertain whether the Commanders wideout is looking to match the AAV ($33M) or total guarantees ($60M). Ultimately, one source believes the Commanders may agree to pay McLaurin a contract that will pay $28M per year. Of course, it’s uncertain if the player would even accept that offer. If that hypothetical maximum offer doesn’t end in a signing, a divorce may be the logical next step.
Giants force Jets' Justin Fields into familiar problem at joint practice
New York Jets quarterback Justin Fields was a little more accurate on Wednesday than he was in his "alarming" performance during joint practice with the New York Giants on Tuesday. Still, the fifth-year quarterback had a familiar issue pop up. Per Dan Duggan and Charlotte Carroll of The Athletic, Fields took several sacks against a Giants defense that brought the house on a shaky Jets offensive line. Via The Athletic: "On the other field, the Giants defensive front carried over its domination from Tuesday, giving Jets quarterback Justin Fields and his offensive line plenty of problems. Camp stats are subjective, especially when it comes to sacks, but the Giants appeared to get to Fields for four sacks. "Similar to Tuesday, there were moments when it was hard to tell exactly who was causing problems as the Giants sent multiple bodies in the backfield. Fields, who went 7-of-11 on the day, had a few overthrows on plays that likely were sacks." Fields did have a couple of long runs on a Giants defense that struggled against the rush in 2024. While Fields has a unique ability to add to the running game, the Jets need the 2021 first-round pick to push the ball down the field in the passing game. Fields has always had a problem with being indecisive in the pocket, leading to his taking too many sacks since entering the league. He led the league with 55 sacks in 2022 and has taken 151 in his four-year career. The Ohio State product took 16 sacks during his six starts with the Pittsburgh Steelers last season. In camp, Fields doesn't have to worry about taking body blows from sacks that lead to injuries. That will happen in the regular season if he plays how he practiced on Wednesday.
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