Oakland A's trade for Atlanta Braves' reliever Yacksel Rios
The Oakland Athletics made a move to bolster their pitching staff by acquiring right-handed pitcher Yacksel Ríos from the Atlanta Braves on Sunday.
In exchange for Ríos, the A's sent cash considerations to the Braves. The announcement of the trade came shortly after the Athletics' 3-2 loss to the Philadelphia Phillies at the Oakland Coliseum in the final game of their series, making it a sweep for the visitors in three games against the A's this season.
Ríos, a 29-year-old reliever, brings major league experience to the Athletics' bullpen. Throughout his career, he has made 89 appearances, all in relief, totaling 96 2/3 innings. He holds an 8-2 record with a 5.77 ERA.
The Puerto Rican most recent big league appearance was in August 2021 with the Boston Red Sox. Last season, Ríos played for the Triple-A Charlotte Knights, an affiliate of the Chicago White Sox, before joining the Braves organization in the offseason.
This year, Ríos has been performing well for the Triple-A Gwinnett Stripers, the Braves' affiliate. In 21 relief outings, he has recorded a 1-1 record with seven saves and an impressive 1.46 ERA. He has been effective at limiting opposing hitters, holding them to a .134 batting average and giving up only one home run in 24 2/3 innings of work.
Ríos was originally drafted by the Philadelphia Phillies in the 12th round of the 2011 MLB Draft. He made his major league debut with the Phillies in 2017 and has since had stints with the Pittsburgh Pirates, Seattle Mariners, and Red Sox.
His most successful period in the majors came in 2021 when he was traded to the Red Sox. In 20 relief appearances for Boston, Ríos posted a 3.29 ERA.
The A's are betting and hoping his strong performance in Triple-A this season is enough for him to make the jump to the Show and contribute to the major squad. When you're a cheap franchise, you have to win the margins and make strategic moves to improve your roster in any possible way. The A's keep doing it. Here's hoping it works for them.