Overview
- Rating: 2.08
- 2025 stats: 7 G, 7 IP, 6.43 ERA, 6.56 FIP, -0.1 bWAR (all stats AZ only)
- Date of birth: October 31, 1989 (age 35 season)
- 2025 earnings: $750K (buyout of option) plus minor-league contract
- 2026 status: [shrugs indifferently]
2025 review
I’m not sure I’m going to be able to cover McGough at the same length as yesterday’s twelve-hundred word rant on the topic of Jordan Montgomery, but who knows? For there is still a bit to say on the unexpected return of McGough. I imagine most fans thought we had seen the last of him when the team declined their side of his 2025 mutual option, choosing instead to pay the $750K buyout. After all, his tenure here had been underwhelming. A mediocre 2023, with a 4.73 ERA, was followed by a flat-out terrible
one in 2024. McGough had a 7.44 ERA across 32.2 innings, with barely more strikeouts (25) than walks (21), and was optioned down to Reno three times.
On that basis, the decision to cut him loose was an easy one, and so it came to pass on November 4th, when he became a free-agent. “Thank goodness that’s over,“ we said and went about our business. It therefore came as something of a shock when, three months later, on February 12, the team announced that they had re-signed McGough to a minor-league contract with an invitation to spring training. We didn’t bother with a McGough-specific post for the event, and nor could I find one in the team subReddit. I imagine most people simply rolled their eyes for a moment and got on with their lives.
After all, we had plenty of perfectly acceptable relief options ahead of McGough on the D-backs’ 2025 depth chart. It would take a catastrophe of almost apocalyptic proportions for the team to need him on the major-league roster…
- 03/23 Placed LHP Blake Walston on the 60-day injured list. Left ulnar collateral ligament sprain.
- 03/26 Placed RHP Kevin Ginkel on the 15-day injured list retroactive to March 24, 2025. Right shoulder inflammation.
- 03/27 Placed RHP Kendall Graveman on the 15-day injured list retroactive to March 24, 2025. Right lumbar strain.
- 04/19 Placed LHP A.J. Puk on the 15-day injured list retroactive to April 18, 2025. Left elbow inflammation.
It wasn’t as if the team wanted to use McGough: they did try others first. They signed Jalen Beeks barely 24 hours before Opening Day, then also brought up Shelby Miller, J.P. Feyereisen, Juan Morillo, Drey Jameson and Yilber Díaz. But after the last-named threw 60 pitches in his only major-league appearance of the year, another fresh arm was needed and it was McGough’s turn on April 27. To be fair, his 5.23 ERA with Reno to that point wasn’t terrible in the PCL, and he did have a decent K:BB of 15:3 across 10.1 innings there. Maybe he was fixed, and could join Shelby Miller on that “Redemption Arc” story-line?
Initially, it looked possible. His first stint in the big leagues only included one outing, but he was recalled again later in May, and had three more scoreless appearances. After his May 23 outing, he had 5 IP, five zeroes posted, only one hit allowed and a 3:1 K:BB ratio! He’s clearly much better! This, however, proved a false dawn. Over the rest of the month, McGough faced eighteen batters, and retired just six, allowing five hits, five walks and a hit batter over those two innings (one reached on an error, in case you were wondering about the arithmetic). He was designated for assignment, cleared waivers, and opted to become a free agent.
Four days later, he signed a minor-league deal with the _____ Athletics, spending most of the season in their AAA affiliate [Fun fact: at a 10,000 capacity, the Aviators ballpark is big enough to hold the average Athletics crowd this year of 9,487]. The highlight of his season likely came from July 23-29, because he was on the paternity list. He did get called up when rosters expanded, and worked six games of mop-up work [seriously, he never entered the game with a margin smaller than five runs]. McGough allowed runs in all but one of those outings, though did have a K:BB of 11:1 over his nine innings.
2026 outlook
Despite debuting in 2015, McGough still has less than two years of MLB service time, thanks largely to his time spent in Japan. I’m not certain whether that means he’s under A’s control until 2030 were they to want it. If that’s not the case, I imagine he’ll be trawling the waters, in search of a minor-league contract next year. Scott turned 36 on Halloween, so it does feel like his career is likely to be winding down. I’d be quite surprised if we see him in Sedona Red again. But then, I would have said exactly the same thing at this point last year. For the second time in my two reviews, I have to quote a certain popular spy: Never Say Never Again.
