Elephant Rumblings: Starting Pitching Targets This Offseason?

ANAHEIM, CALIFORNIA - JUNE 26: J.T. Ginn #35 of the Athletics pitches during the third inning against the Los Angeles Angels at Angel Stadium of Anaheim on June 26, 2026 in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Katelyn Mulcahy/Getty Images) | Getty Images Good morning A’s fans! The Athletics began the year

What is the story about?

Good morning A’s fans!

The Athletics began the year strong and were in first place in the AL West longer than many analysts and baseball people expected. The squad got there on the strength of their lineup and a few key early runs from their pitching. It looked like the club could hang around for the long haul, through summer at least.

Well, then June and July came around and sunk the A’s chances at meaningful September baseball, just like last year. Except while last year it was a roughly 20-game

stretch that sunk the club, this year it’s been an extended run of poor luck and poor performance. The A’s are now only two games ahead of the division-rival Angels for the worst record in the American League. For the guys in the clubhouse, avoiding the cellar of the league should be the driving goal the rest of the way.

A lot of the struggles this year has to due with injuries, and the A’s have dealt with more than their fair share this season. Still, every club deals with injuries. It’s how the team responds and adapts to those that make decent teams good and solid teams great. This club has that ceiling in them thanks to the core position player group they’ve assembled, it’s about supplementing them now with some pitching, which has been clear for the past two months at this point.

That’ll obviously be the offseason goal for the front office. Whether it’s adding to a starting rotation that really only has three locked in spots (Ginn, Jump, Severino). Obviously the club has other depth pieces like Jacob Lopez, Mason Barnett, and Jack Perkins. The hope is that one or multiple of them can show they deserve a shot at starting next year but for the offseason’s sake the front office has to consider those depth pieces at best.

The club won’t be playing at the top of the free agent market for guys like Skubal, Mize, Peralta, or King. They’re much more likely to look on the trade market. But could a lower-tier arm like Robbie Ray, Brady Singer, or even old friend Sonny Gray be options the club would consider spending money for? The club needs to add at least one, probably two arms if we’re being serious. And that’s not even getting to the bullpen, which needs a complete overhaul in the worst way possible.

So which free agent starting pitchers would you like to see the team go after this offseason? Discuss below! And have a great one guys.