Oakland A’s taking chance on Cam Bedrosian

One can never have enough relief pitching. That is something that teams have learned over the years, and could be vitally important this season as starters readjust to their usual workloads following the pandemic shortened 2020. Having enough depth on hand, and plenty of options in case of injuries, can make a major difference.

The Oakland A’s added to their depth on Friday. They signed former Angels reliever Cam Bedrosian to a minor league deal, assigning him to the Triple-A Las Vegas Aviators.

Oakland A’s sign intriguing depth option in Cam Bedrosian

There was a time when Bedrosian was seen as the closer of the future for the Angels. While he never lived up to that potential or seized the closer’s role, he did emerge as a solid reliever in his own right.

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From 2016 through 2020, Bedrosian posted a 3.20 ERA and a 1.231 WHiP over his 225 innings, striking out 236 batters with 85 walks. While those overall numbers were impressive, there were reasons to be concerned – his K/9 rate steadily decreased from 11.4 in 2016 to 6.8 last year. He was still effective, but the Angels were understandably hesitant to bring him back, despite their own bullpen shortcomings.

Signed to a minor league deal by the Reds, Bedrosian impressed in spring training. Although he allowed four runs on three hits, all of which were homers, and three walks over his 8.2 innings, he struck out 16 batters. That was enough to earn a place in Cincinnati’s bullpen to start the year, but he allowed seven runs on ten hits and six walks over 5.2 innings before being let go.

For the A’s, Bedrosian is a worthwhile lottery ticket. He costs virtually nothing, and does not even have to be on the 40 man roster at this point. Should he be able to get back on track in Triple-A, then he could be a viable depth option. If not, the A’s can cut bait without really losing anything.

The Oakland A’s have signed Cam Bedrosian to a minor league deal. He could be an intriguing lottery ticket as a depth option for the bullpen.