Happy New Year, Athletics Nation! New year, new player reviews, starting with my guy, Osvaldo Bido.
A few weeks after the 2023 World Series, the Oakland Athletics very quietly made its first major league signing of the offseason, plucking Bido from the bottom of the free agent bargain bin. Miraculously, the signing proved to be the team’s best of the offseason — apologies, Scott Alexander stans. With barely a year of major league service time under his belt, the 29-year-old righty now gives the A’s a middle-of-the-rotation option for many years to come.
How was he acquired?
After giving Bido his major league debut in 2023, the Pittsburgh Pirates non-tendered him, essentially allowing any team to acquire both him and his many remaining cost-controlled years. The A’s, desperate for pitching talent, took the low-cost flier and brought him into the organization, hoping to capitalize on some his minor league numbers.
What were the expectations?
Despite signing Bido to a major league contract, meaning they had to pay him at least the minimum $740,000, the swingman still had minor league options left so the A’s could stash him at Triple-A until he was needed in Oakland. The expectations were low for the swingman since all he cost the A’s was essentially a 40-man roster spot. Anything he gave the team would be a plus.
2024 Results
That “anything” turned out to be something. Despite never besting a 4.16 ERA in the upper minors, Bido leveled up once he got to Oakland, pitching to a strong 3.41 ERA/3.36 FIP over 63 1⁄3 innings while racking up 1.4 fWAR, behind only Mason Miller on the staff. He definitely performed much better out of the bullpen — 1.53 ERA as a reliever, 4.14 ERA in nine starts — but he was one of the A’s most reliable pitchers in either role throughout the season.
2025 Outlook
Having very little knowledge about him prior, the righty was the quietest surprise of the year. Unfortunately for him, the A’s pitching staff is getting crowded with players whose next step can be summarized as “needs more major league innings”. My bet is still on Bido beating those others out for an Opening Day spot, but it’s not a given. Despite my wishes to keep him in the rotation, the A’s feel like they’re leaning more towards guys like Estes and Ginn, but time will tell. Regardless, the swingman showed he has a lot to give the team and should have a chance to further prove it this year.
