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Oakland A’s make surprising move in Sheldon Neuse DFA

By David Hill

Sep 8, 2022; Oakland, California, USA; Oakland Athletics relief pitcher Sheldon Neuse (26) walks off the field after the top of the ninth inning against the Chicago White Sox at RingCentral Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 8, 2022; Oakland, California, USA; Oakland Athletics relief pitcher Sheldon Neuse (26) walks off the field after the top of the ninth inning against the Chicago White Sox at RingCentral Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports /
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The Oakland A’s needed to find a roster spot for Ernie Clement. That roster spot came at the expense of Sheldon Neuse.

In a bit of a surprise move, the A’s designated Neuse for assignment on Saturday. As the A’s 40 man roster had been filled with Clement being claimed on waivers, the A’s did not necessarily need to cut the cord with Neuse. This decision puts the A’s 40 man roster back at 39 for the time being.

Oakland A’s seemingly move on from Sheldon Neuse

It would not have been a surprise for the A’s to send Neuse back to Triple-A. He has gone back and forth from Las Vegas twice already this year. A third trip to Las Vegas would have made sense, especially as Clement is essentially the same sort of player.

Neuse has fared well in Las Vegas this season. He has an excellent .398/.407/.611 batting line in his 113 Triple-A plate appearances this year, hitting five homers and six doubles. This continues his strong history at Triple-A where he has performed well enough to imagine that he could carve out a role in the majors.

Instead, that success has not followed to Oakland. Neuse has a .212/.262/.296 batting line in his 420 plate appearances in parts of three years, hitting seven homers and eight doubles. His defensive versatility makes him an intriguing player, but he just has not performed with either the A’s or Dodgers.

Nonetheless, Neuse could find a new home in the coming days. His success at Triple-A and ability to play anywhere in the infield make him a player that could be worth a look for a rebuilding team. As he has five years of team control left and will be 28 years old next season, he could be a long term option if his minor league success finally translates to the majors.

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The Oakland A’s did not need to designate Sheldon Neuse for assignment. Their decision to do so shows that his time in Oakland may be over.