Oakland A’s designate another reliever for assignment

The Oakland A’s bullpen carousel continued once again on Sunday.

This time, it was Domingo Tapia’s turn. He was designated for assignment on Sunday, with right handed pitcher Collin Wiles taking his place on the roster.

Oakland A’s a brief stop for Domingo Tapia

Tapia has bounced around a bit in his professional career. Originally signed by the Mets in 2009, he was with the organization through 2016 before becoming a minor league free agent. He signed with the Reds, spending two years in their organization, before joining the Red Sox during the 2018-19 offseason. From there, he was selected off of waivers from the Red Sox by the Mariners in the 2020-21 offseason, who in turn sold his contract to the Royals. Kansas City placed Tapia on waivers in April, leading to his time in Oakland.

He struggled during his time with the A’s this season. Tapia allowed 16 runs on 25 hits and 14 walks in his 17 innings, striking out 12 batters. Opponents battered him for a .338/.444/.527 batting line in 90 plate appearances, a number that was inflated by a .387 batting average on balls in play against.

However, he had an excellent showing in the launching pad known as Las Vegas and the Pacific Coast League. Tapia posted a 1.95 ERA and a 1.193 WHiP in his 27.2 innings at Triple-A this season, striking out 26 batters with ten walks.

Tapia’s performance in such an adverse environment as Las Vegas, coupled with his extreme groundball tendencies, could make him an intriguing option for teams in need of bullpen help. He had also been reasonably solid in the majors prior to this year’s implosion, posting a 2.69 ERA and a 1.211 WHiP in his previous 38 major league innings. Chances are, some team will give him a chance to find his way back to the majors.

The Oakland A’s have designated Domingo Tapia for assignment. He is the latest reliever to be kicked off the continuing carousel.