Ka’ai Tom had been the talk of spring training for the Oakland A’s. The Rule V draftee had played his way onto the roster, and seemed as though he would get time as a fifth outfielder. Instead, he made his biggest impact as the first position player pitching of the season, being designated for assignment just three weeks later before being claimed by the Pirates.
Tom was unable to make more of an impact with Pittsburgh. He has once again been designated for assignment, this time with approximately seven weeks left in the regular season.
The Pirates have activated Ka'ai Tom from the 10-day IL and then DFAd him. Cold world.
— Mike Persak (@MikeDPersak) August 16, 2021
Ka’ai Tom is moving yet again
Tom did not get much of a chance with the A’s, receiving just 16 plate appearances over his nine games. He had just one hit, driving in a run and scoring another, while striking out six times. With the A’s postseason aspirations, they simply could not afford to keep him on the roster.
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That was not the case with the Pirates. He essentially served as their fourth outfielder, getting into 39 games before being shelved with a lower back strain. However, Tom did not fare better with more extensive playing time, producing a .152/.308/.261 batting line in his 117 plate appearances, hitting two homers and two doubles.
Nonetheless, it would not be a surprise to see another team claim him on waivers. Tom has a strong track record of production in the minors, including excellent contact and walk rates. He has also accumulated enough time on the major league roster where he could be optioned to the minors next year, making him an intriguing stash for a team looking towards the future.
Even with the A’s outfield issues, that will not be coming in Oakland. Tom could still be a major league piece, but they cannot afford to use that roster spot on a project over the last few weeks of the season. He should still get a look somewhere.
Ka’ai Tom has been let go once again. The former Oakland A’s Rule V draft pick is still intriguing, but he has yet to show anything at the major league level.