Another week in the books, A's fans—welcome to Friday! The Athletics have been busy making moves, and we've got a fresh addition to the bullpen to talk about.
Yesterday morning, the A's announced they've acquired left-handed reliever José Suarez from the Seattle Mariners in exchange for cash considerations. It's a low-risk, high-upside move that could pay dividends down the stretch. To clear a spot on the 40-man roster for Suarez, the team designated outfielder Junior Perez for assignment, meaning any of the other 29 MLB clubs can now claim him. Plus, since Suarez is joining the active bullpen today, another corresponding move will be needed to open a spot on the 26-man roster.
If Suarez's name sounds familiar, it should. The 28-year-old spent the 2019-2024 seasons with the division-rival Los Angeles Angels, where he showed flashes of promise as a budding backend starter. After a brief stint with the Atlanta Braves to start this season, he landed in Seattle. So far in 2025, Suarez has appeared in just nine games, allowing 13 runs over 18 1/3 innings—good for a 6.38 ERA. Not exactly eye-popping numbers, but context matters.
Here's where it gets interesting: Suarez has been far more effective working out of the bullpen as a left-handed specialist. He's got swing-and-miss stuff, but control has always been his Achilles' heel. With only Hogan Harris as the lone lefty in Mark Kotsay's bullpen, adding another southpaw was a clear priority. The A's are betting that their coaching staff can help Suarez rediscover the form that once made him a promising arm for the Angels—a gamble that could pay off big if they can iron out those command issues.
As for the roster shuffle, designating Junior Perez for assignment was a tough call. The outfield prospect is widely regarded as a top-20 talent in the Athletics' farm system, and the club added him to the 40-man roster this offseason specifically to protect him from the Rule 5 Draft. That logic was solid, especially after he turned heads with a strong performance last year. But in the cutthroat world of roster management, sometimes you have to make hard choices to address immediate needs.
Stay tuned, A's fans—the Giants are coming to town this weekend, and this revamped bullpen could be key in a big divisional showdown. Let's see if Suarez can make an instant impact!