A’s Acquire LHPs Jeffrey Springs & Jacob Lopez from Tampa Bay
Dec 16, 2024, 7:09 AM
(Photo by Alika Jenner/Getty Images)
(Photo by Alika Jenner/Getty Images)
The following release is courtesy of Athletics PR
The Athletics have acquired left-handed pitchers Jeffrey Springs and Jacob Lopez from the Tampa Bay Rays in exchange for right-handed pitchers Joe Boyle and Jacob Watters, infielder Will Simpson, and the A’s 2025 competitive balance round A pick, the club announced today.
Springs enters his eighth Major League season after spending the last seven seasons with the Rangers, Red Sox, and Rays. In 2023, he made seven starts for Tampa Bay, going 2-2 with a 3.27 ERA, 37 strikeouts, and 11 walks in 33.0 innings pitched. He began his career as a reliever before moving to the rotation in 2022. For his career, he is 23-12 with a 3.39 ERA, 359 strikeouts, and 104 walks in 313.2 innings pitched, including going 12-7 with a 2.51 ERA, and a 4.63 strikeout-to-walk ratio as a starter.
Jeffrey Springs, Wicked 82mph Slider. 🤢
9th K thru 4 pic.twitter.com/M9jatPBafU
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) April 2, 2023
Lopez was originally drafted by the San Francisco Giants in 2018 before being traded to Tampa Bay in 2019. Across five minor league seasons, he is 16-17 with a 2.99 ERA, 425 strikeouts and 136 walks. He made his Major League debut in 2023 and has made eight career appearances at the big league level, going 1-0 with a save, a 4.76 ERA, 16 strikeouts, and nine walks. He missed the entire 2022 season after undergoing Tommy John surgery.
Boyle was acquired from Cincinnati in a trade for Sam Moll at the 2023 trade deadline. He made his Major League debut later that year and has appeared in 16 games for the A’s over the last two years, going 5-6 with a 5.23 ERA, 71 strikeouts, and 45 walks in 63.2 innings pitched.
The A’s drafted Simpson in the 15th round of the 2023 First-Year Player Draft. He is the A’s 28th-ranked prospect according to MLB.com and is hitting .290 with a .872 OPS in two minor league seasons, reaching as high as Double-A Midland.
Watters was drafted by the A’s in the fourth round of the 2022 First-Year Player Draft. In three minor league seasons, he is 9-12 with a 5.86 ERA, 153 strikeouts, and 96 walks in 152 innings of work.
More Athletics baseball coverage from Sactown Sports
The Athletics selected right-handed pitcher Noah Murdock from the Kansas City Royals organization in the first round of the Major League portion of the Rule 5 Draft, the club announced today. The A’s also selected right-handed pitcher Henry Gomez from the St. Louis Cardinals organization in the minor league portion.
Murdock was selected from the Triple-A Omaha Storm Chasers roster with the fifth overall pick of the Major League Phase of the Rule 5 Draft. The 26-year-old went 1-0 with a 3.76 ERA in 30 relief appearances with the Storm Chasers this year.
Originally selected by the Royals in the seventh round of the 2019 First-Year Player Draft out of the University of Virginia, Murdock struck out 72 batters and walked 41 in 62.2 innings in 2024. Across five minor league seasons, he is 9-10 with a 4.74 ERA in 262 innings in 117 games, including 30 starts.
Read more below:
A’s select pitcher Noah Murdock in Major League Rule 5 Draft
Upcoming 2024-25 MLB Offseason Dates
- MLB free agency begins the day after the final World Series game
- Players can sign contracts with new teams five days after the final World Series game
- December 8-11th – MLB Winter Meetings in Dallas, TX
- February TBD – Pitchers & catchers report for Spring Training
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