The Oakland A’s are taking a chance that former top prospect Trey Supak can turn his career around in their organization.
Once upon a time, Trey Supak was considered one of the Milwaukee Brewers top prospects. Originally selected in the second round of the 2014 MLB Draft by the Pirates, Supak was sent to the Brewers along with Keon Broxton for Jason Rogers.
Supak had more than held his own throughout his minor league career. He had bested the proving grounds of AA, posting a 2.49 and a 0.998 WHiP over his 209.1 innings at Biloxi, striking out 166 batters with just 51 walks. The Brewers appeared to have a future piece to their rotation.
Then came AAA. Supak completely bombed in his seven outings in San Antonio, allowing 31 runs on 41 hits and nine walks over his 30 innings. Although he struck out 27 batters, his struggles were enough for the Brewers to remove him from the 40 man roster, with the Oakland A’s signing him to a minor league deal.
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There is plenty of reason for the A’s to be intrigued. Supak has a fastball that sits in the mid 90s and generates plenty of weaker contact. He pairs that fastball with an excellent curve and a solid changeup. Even though he does not profile as a top of the rotation arm, his stuff would seemingly suggest that he is a future major league arm.
But there are some concerns. Supak still needs to work on his command if he is going to make an impact at the major league level. His stuff can get batters out at the lower levels, but he is going to need to learn how to truly pitch to make the same impact at AAA and beyond.
That potential makes Supak a worthwhile gamble for the A’s. They have several young starters, but are in need of depth. And, with at least one opening in the rotation and the need for multiple relievers, Supak could get a look in spring training. If his command has improved, it is not unreasonable that he could make his major league debut in 2021.
The Oakland A’s are taking a chance on Trey Supak. If he can improve his command, they may well have something interesting.