Happy Wednesday A’s fans!
It’s been six days since the end of the World Series. You know what that means. Free agency is officially open!
Players and their agents can begin negotiating with teams, deciding whether to stay with their current clubs or embark on a new adventure with a different franchise.
Next week’s MLB General Manager Meetings in Las Vegas will set the stage for what’s to come. All 30 teams will conduct preliminary trade talks and initiate discussions with free agent representatives
as they look to improve their roster for next season. This meetings will provide the first opportunity for the Athletics’ new president of baseball operations, Taylor Smith, to network with his counterparts as he looks to mold the Green and Gold into a perennial American League contender.
While Smith will aim to improve the A’s league-worst pitching staff through offseason additions, the team’s owner, John Fisher, will have other responsibilities this winter. He is among a group of owners pushing for a salary cap and floor system, something the MLB Players Association adamantly opposes.
If no deal is reached before the current labor agreement expires Dec. 1, the owners will lockout the players until both parties reach a compromise on a new collective bargaining agreement. Given how divided the two sides currently are over the league’s economic structure, a worst case scenario would involve the lockout delaying the start of the 2027 season or cancelling it entirely.
Knowing how brutal the 1994-1995 strike was for the players and the sport’s popularity, another extended work stoppage could be the nail in the coffin, potentially ruining all the good vibes generated by the Milwaukee Brewers proving that small-market teams can win championships. Additionally, it would be a shame if a lockout deprived A’s fans of the opportunity to watch the historic franchise play its final season in California before moving to Las Vegas in 2028.
The rebuilding Athletics need to be smart in navigating this offseason’s free-agent and trade markets. Which players are the best fits for the team? Also, how long do you think a potential lockout will last?
A’s Coverage
- A’s trade RHP prospect to Red Sox for outfielder Eaton
- Three A’s Officially Elect Free Agency
- After standout year, No. 7 prospect Taylor could factor into A’s ’27 plans
- Q&A: Smith discusses his new role as youngest head of baseball ops in MLB
- Taylor Smith’s Improbable Quest: A Quality SP
- Why A’s Bringing Back Sonny Gray Could Make Sense
- Optics vs. Infrastructure: Taylor Smith’s First Dilemma
- Athletics Hire Taylor Smith As Next President of Baseball Operations
- A’s Considering Hiring GM Under Taylor Smith
- Realistic Shea Langeliers trade offers the Yankees, Cubs and Reds can make
- A’s Max Muncy Undergoes Knee Debridement
- The five biggest questions facing the A’s this offseason
- Inside the A’s State-of-the-Art Las Vegas Ballpark
- How technology will shape fan experiences at the A’s Las Vegas ballpark
- Pitching prospect Huggins growing his game with the help of this A’s Hall of Famer
- ’Be a sponge’: No. 19 prospect leads A’s Fall League group with do-it-all mentality
- A’s LHP prospect Richardson shows off health and resiliency during Fall League homecoming
- Zack Of All Trades Tries To Get One More Win: In Court
- Important Dates For The Athletics This Offseason
- 12 A’s Players Out of Options Heading Into 2027
- How MLB’s Proposed Changes Would Impact the A’s
- A’s part ways with assistant hitting, quality control coaches
- After an outfield collision left him paralyzed, every gain in rehab is a big win for A’s Ryan Lasko
- Why 2027 Athletics Will Be Completely Different Team
- 2026: Year Of The “Didn’t See That Coming!”
- A’s Hoping Luis Severino Chooses to Stay
- Where the A’s Plan to Use Zack Gelof in 2027
- Drafting The Top AL Graduated MLB Prospects From 2026
- Devin Taylor: Athletics 2026 Minor League Player Of The Year
- Athletics 2026 MLB Draft Report Card
- Henry Bolte Is the A’s Next Budding Star
- Determining Athletics’ Offensive MVP for the 2026 Season
- 2027 Infield Landscape Ever Changing
- Get the best of Athletics Nation on the new SB Nation app
MLB News & Interest:
- Here are the finalists for MVP, Cy Young, Rookie of the Year, more
- Mariners hire Jason Kanzler as next manager
- Biggest offseason needs for all 30 MLB teams for the 2026-27 offseason
- Baker, Bochy, Piniella headline Baseball Hall of Fame contemporary ballot
- Evan Carter Unlikely To Be Ready For Opening Day, Rangers To Explore Center Field Market
- 1 snub for each BBWAA Award who deserves recognition
- Who opted out? Every 2027 option decision
- Bednar, Suzuki, Arozarena among eight to get qualifying offers
- 2026-27 Top 50 Free Agents With Predictions
- This team ‘badly’ wants Skubal (report)
- Teruaki Sato, Kaima Taira & Hiromi Itoh MLB Scouting Reports For 2027
- Red Sox, Diamondbacks lead Gold Glove winners with 3 apiece
- Parker Messick Earns PPI Pick For Guardians
- Buttó, Beck among 9 players departing from Giants
Best of X:
This is a cool simulator tool. Check it out and post your final roster in the comments.
What do you think about MLB’s new labor proposals to the MLBPA? If approved, they could be beneficial for the Athletics, as they would require owner John Fisher to invest more resources into the team, potentially increasing the likelihood that the Green and Gold will be annual contenders in the American League.
Not so fast!
Of all the available free-agent pitchers, whom should the Athletics pursue most aggressively to strengthen their rotation?
