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A look at the Oakland A’s upcoming arbitration class

By David Hill

Sep 13, 2022; Arlington, Texas, USA; Oakland Athletics relief pitcher Austin Pruitt (29) pitches against the Texas Rangers in the seventh inning at Globe Life Field. Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 13, 2022; Arlington, Texas, USA; Oakland Athletics relief pitcher Austin Pruitt (29) pitches against the Texas Rangers in the seventh inning at Globe Life Field. Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports /
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The Oakland A’s are going to need to spend a bit of money if they are set to keep their roster intact for the 2023 season.

Chances are, Chad Pinder will not be back as he will generate plenty of interest in free agency. However, the A’s do have six players that are eligible for arbitration this offseason in Paul Blackburn, Deolis Guerra, Tony Kemp, Ramon Laureano, Sean Murphy, and Austin Pruitt.

Oakland A’s arbitration decisions mainly black and white

The A’s are not exactly looking at many difficult decisions. Of those six players, five should be easy to decide whether or not to offer a contract to. And then there is the sixth, where the stats do not do him justice.

Which players should the Oakland A’s tender a contract to in arbitration? Let’s look at their six players that are eligible this offseason.

Time to move on

The Oakland A’s are looking to save as much money as possible. That includes moving on from players that are essentially just another guy in the bullpen.

Such is the case with Austin Pruitt and Deolis Guerra. The latter did not even pitch this season as he underwent Tommy John surgery in April and would likely not be back until sometime around July 2023. As he would, at minimum, receive the same $815,000 he received for last year, Guerra is an easy choice to non-tender.

Pruitt was at least able to get on the mound. He posted a relatively non-descript 4.23 ERA and a 1.030 WHiP over his 55.1 innings, striking out 38 batters with nine walks. The A’s removed him from their 40 man roster recently, making the odds that he will be offered arbitration even longer.

The bullpen is also an area that is a relative strength. There were several players who showed that they could be part of a core next year, giving the A’s hope that they have a solid relief corps in place. Other pitchers are going to get chances to earn those final spots. It is an area where the A’s can cut costs.

The Oakland A’s are not about to throw money away on an area where they already have plenty of moving parts. It makes sense to let Austin Pruitt and Deolis Guerra walk.