Happy Friday, Athletics Nation!
The final weekend of the A’s 2025 season is upon us, with just three games left to play. The A’s are wrapping up their first year in West Sacramento at home, hosting the Kansas City Royals for a series at Sutter Health Park.
This series will not constitute “meaningful baseball” as it is generally considered, since both the A’s and Royals are eliminated from the postseason. But you can bet that how these final games play out will mean a lot to both teams. The Royals (80-79)
could finish the season a losing team, a winning one, or dead .500.
The A’s (75-84) couldn’t quite complete a sweep of Houston this week, but they still helped eliminate the Astros from the AL West title race, which was clinched by the Mariners on Wednesday; that certainly is a meaningful achievement. Now, the A’s young starting pitchers will be looking to finish on a high note this weekend. Exactly who will start on the mound remains to be determined according to the A’s schedule, but veteran righty Luis Severino is surely done for the year, having finally pitched his first scoreless start at home this season yesterday.
In an interview with Jeffrey Springs during Wednesday’s game, A’s announcer Jenny Cavnar referred to the veteran lefty’s successful start on Tuesday as his last of the season, and Springs did not correct her, so one may presume—if not definitively conclude—that both of the A’s most seasoned starters have made their last appearances of 2025.
I expect that Luis Morales and Mason Barnett will both get one last start. That would leave the A’s with some dubious options to round out the series: Osvaldo Bido and Mitch Spence both got hammered in tandem by the Pirates last week, and Bido hasn’t pitched five or more innings in an appearance since May. Jacob Lopez remains on the IL with a grade 1 flexor strain, but he’s still slated for a late September return on the A’s injuries and roster moves page. I’d love to see “The Reacher” one last time in 2025, but I highly doubt it will happen.
If it were up to me, I’d start Springs in the season finale and give him a shot at finishing with a winning record. He’s now 11-11, and will be on five days rest come Sunday. So why not? Perhaps you can tell me.
Have a wonderful weekend, AN.
A’s Coverage:
- A’s Drop Finale, Fall to Astros 11-5
- Athletics, General Manager David Forst Discussing New Contract
- Max Muncy to Get Extra Work in Arizona Fall League
- Facing the Houston Astros is What Luis Severino Signed Up For Last Offseason
- A’s Power + Speed Prospect Named Team’s Minor League Player of the Year
MLB News & Interest:
- Even Cal Raleigh’s peers can’t believe 60 HR season: ‘What he’s doing is extremely ridiculous’
The Heroes (And Zeroes) of September ($) - Let’s Judge Midseason Trades Now
- 15 MLB teams that could change their manager or head of baseball operations this offseason ($)
- I’m an MLB All-Star and I still get nervous before every game. Here’s how I deal with it ($)
- A Week of Instructional League Scouting Notes
- Mets Designate Richard Lovelady For Assignment
- Sonny Gray Will Consider Waiving No-Trade Clause This Offseason
- Nolan Arenado More Open To Waiving No-Trade Clause As Cardinals Plan To Rebuild
- Jeremy Pena Dealing With Oblique Strain
- Today in Baseball History
Best of X:
Stew hands Law his 2025 Community Service Award.
Wilson honored by the BBWAA.
And how many started their season in late April?
Moore to write on the rise and fall of pro sports in Oakland.
A satisfying graph.
