Oakland Athletics offseason slowly coming together as international signing period approaches

There's not much happening for the Athletics this weekend. Last week, the team inked catcher Carlos Perez to a minor league deal. Perez played in 68 games for the A's in 2023, mostly serving as Shea Langeliers backup.

It's possible that Perez makes the team out of spring training, though he is not on the 40-man roster. The only catchers currently on the 40-man are starter Shea Langeliers and prospect Tyler Soderstrom, the latter of whom seems more likely to see time at first base and as a designated hitter in 2024.

The A's have two viable catching prospects in Triple-A, in Kyle McCann and Yohel Pozo. Like Perez, however, both would need to be added to the 40-man ahead of opening day.

Monday is the official opening of the international amateur signing period. The period will run the full year, concluding on December 15. Ben Badler of Baseball America ($) predicts that the A's will sign three of the top-50 players during the open window. We'll have more in-depth thoughts on the A's projections tomorrow morning.

Elsewhere, Jason Burke of Inside The A's, published a fun piece about one of the most underrated players in Athletics' history. Mark Ellis played for the A's from 2002-2011, providing strong defense with solid performance at the plate. Burke's column is well worth the read.

John Shea of the SF Chronicle ($) has a column up exploring the 15 most interesting Bay Area baseball people to watch in 2024. The list includes several Athletics' adjacent figures, as well as second baseman Zack Gelof. Based on his performance this past year, the young A's righty is projected to be one of the best players on the field for the A's in 2024.

Also, happy Sunday afternoon to everyone but John Fisher and Dave Kaval.