Athletics Report: Pitching Rotation and Relief Corps Have More Depth
MESA, Ariz. (Feb. 13) — Day Two of pitcher and catcher workouts at Athletics spring training saw Dave Stewart come in to give guidance and feedback. Prior to the bullpen sessions, manager Mark Kotsay briefed the media in attendance.
Dave Stewart Arrives, Athletics Pitching Staff Rejoices
Stewart returned to the Athletics front office in late January as a Special Assistant to the Director of Player Development. The 1989 World Series MVP always comes by in spring training to help prepare Athletics pitchers, but now he is with the team year-round. Kotsay looks forward to having him around. “Stew is gonna impact our organization. This is a man that’s basically had every position there is in the game. So to have someone of his knowledge and his bandwidth, to be able to utilize him every day in different capacities, is going to be great.”
Rotation Depth
One key difference between the 2025 Athletics and the squads from recent years is depth in the pitching staff, namely the pitching rotation. They’ve added two veteran starters, Luis Severino and Jeffrey Springs. Kotsay also praised JP Sears: “JP has done a phenomenal job the last two years. Back-to-back years, making 32 starts. Giving him the ball every fifth day builds that trust, and durability alone separates him from people.” As far as the rest of the rotation, Kotsay said they’ll “see how it plays out.” In addition to Osvaldo Bido (29), some younger pitchers are in the running, including Joey Estes (22), non-roster invite Mason Barnett (24), and non-roster invite Jack Perkins (25).
Relief Pitching
The roles within the relief corps, outside of Mason Miller as the closer and Jose Leclerc most likely as a setup man, are not yet fully determined. Kotsay explained, “I’m hopeful that we have multiple guys that we can utilize in those leverage situations and those innings that really can determine the game. We saw Tyler Ferguson and Michel Otañez do a great job last season as first-year guys.” He added that teams don’t know what they’re going to get from every reliever year in and year out but adding “depth” and having “confidence in guys” in “leverage situations” is what they strive for. He concluded with, “It’s great to have the experience with Leclerc, to be able to get out of the gate with him and build that confidence.”
Looking Ahead
Athletics pitchers and catchers will continue their workouts through the weekend at Hohokam Stadium. On Monday, position players will officially arrive to begin workouts.
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Main Photo Credits:
MESA, Ariz. (Feb. 13) — Three Athletics pitchers throw bullpen sessions as coaches look on at Hohokam Stadium. Pitching are Mason Miller (left, no number visible), Osvaldo Bido (#45), and Hogan Harris (#36). (Evan Thompson/Sport Relay)
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