The Oakland Athletics may have had the day off on Thursday, but the front office stayed busy. Billy Beane and company acquired left-handed reliever Daniel Coulombe from the Dodgers in exchange for cash considerations, according to the club. To make room on the 40-man roster, the A’s placed Evan Scribner on the 60-day disabled list with a torn right lat muscle.
#Athletics acquire LHP Daniel Coulombe from the Los Angeles Dodgers for cash considerations.
— Oakland A's (@Athletics) September 10, 2015
Coulombe is a fairly underwhelming pick up. The left-hander has pitched in five games for the Dodgers this season, totaling 8.1 innings. He’s give up seven runs on nine hits and six walks, despite striking out seven batters. In 2014, he also made five appearances, but gave up two earned runs on five hits and two walks in just 4.1 innings.
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Currently, he’s ranked as the Dodgers’ 28th overall prospect, which doesn’t necessarily mean much given the weakness in the Los Angeles’ farm system. When a team can afford to buy any player they want, they don’t need a well-stocked minor league program.
Coulombe has faired a bit better in the minor leagues, though. He made 38 appearances with Triple-A this season, posting a 3.27 ERA in 41.1 innings. He struck out just under a batter per inning, and opposing hitters batted .235 against him.
The newest Oakland Athletic isn’t likely to have a big impact on the team, but he will add some depth to the left-handed side of the bullpen. Given the relief crew’s struggles this season, additional bullpen help is always welcome. Coulombe is certainly not going to be a lights-out reliever, but having an extra arm is still a good thing, given the A’s propensity for injuries.
Scribner, who left an August 31 game with shoulder soreness, was already expected to miss the rest of the season due to his injury. He posted a 4.35 ERA in 2015, although he still managed to strike out 64 batters. His move to the 60-day disabled list was simply to make room for Coulombe. However, Scribner will have to go through arbitration this off-season, so it’s not a guarantee that the A’s will tender him a contract in 2016.