A 1-year pact to bring back the reliable lefty
The Athletics announced their first major league free agent signing this morning, announcing that the team has agreed to terms with left-handed reliever T.J. McFarland:
We have signed left-handed pitcher T.J. McFarland to a one-year contract. pic.twitter.com/69UWIOboQ0
— Athletics (@Athletics) November 7, 2024
The exact terms of the deal aren’t yet known but it crosses off an important thing on the off-season to-do list. Considering the club will be playing in a minor league ballpark for the next few seasons they might struggle to attract free agents so getting someone already familiar with the team and coaches is a plus.
The move bolsters a bullpen riddled with question marks. Outside of All-Star closer Mason Miller, there isn’t a whole lot to get excited about down in the ‘pen. There’s options like right-handlers Tyler Ferguson, Austin Adams, and Dany Jimenez, though Ferguson and Adams are more suited for middle relief and Jimenez might not be tendered a contract since he’s arbitration eligible and coming off a down season. The bullpen needs some stability and structure heading into the season and bringing McFarland back adds an experienced lefty to an otherwise young, right-handed heavy group.
McFarland will be pitching in his 13th major league season this coming year. This will be his second consecutive season with the Athletics but third overall after he played the 2020 season with the club. Amazingly he is currently the only Athletic player under contract for next year with a guaranteed contract, but that’ll be changing soon with the arbitration class the club has in addition to any other free agents the club can reel in.
The 35-year-old lefty won’t strike out many batters but also posts strong walk and ground-ball rates. McFarland appeared in a league-high 79(!) games for the A’s in 2024, pitching 56 2⁄3 innings while posting a solid 3.81 ERA as one of the A’s top left-handed options. That’s after appearing in just three games the year before with the Mets, so quite the ramp up that manager Mark Kotsay asked of McFarland. It’s likely that he’ll be asked to do more of the same as the club enters its first season in Sacramento. Welcome back McFarland!
