Elephant Rumblings: Grounded in Sacramento

MLB news roundup

Happy Monday, Athletics Nation!

While there is plenty of uncertainty about how Sutter Health Park in Sacramento will play relative to the Coliseum, it seems that David Forst and company are building the team’s capacity to keep the ball in the the A’s new park in 2025.

Jason Burke at SI.com notes that the A’s recently acquired—or re-signed—are “elite” at inducing the ground ball.

A’s reliever T.J. McFarland has long been a ground ball poster child, hence his high compatibility with the unquestionably pitcher-friendly Oakland Coliseum. He was a true workhorse with 79 appearances for the A’s in 2024. So if the A’s wanted to maintain a deep stable of ground ball guys, bringing TJ Mack back for less than $2 million was a no-brainer for next season.

The other four groundistas are new to the organization, and among them, only 30-year-old Matt Krook has thrown a few pitches in MLB. The other three are still waiting for their big league debuts: 31-year-old Jason Alexander, 27-year-old Tanner Dodson, and 23-year-old Jared Johnson.

None of these pitchers have elite pedigrees, but if there’s a common quality they share that the A’s might deem promising, it’s that most of their balls in play are grounders. Dodson and Johnson both had especially high ground pall rates above 60% this year.

Tight budgets require a down-to-earth approach, and though it’s been suggested that the A’s payroll will be up next year, these roster moves seem to be par for the Forst.

A’s Coverage:

• Center Field — Yes It’s An “Area Of Need”
• 2024 Season In Review; Sean Newcomb
• 2024 Season in Review: Paul Blackburn
• A’s targeting ground balls in Sacramento
• Former Baltimore Orioles reliever signs with A’s
• Former Boston Red Sox pitcher signs minor-league deal with A’s

MLB News & Interest:

• Are the San Francisco Giants messing up their opportunity this winter?
• How an overlooked free-agent ace stacks up with Burnes
• Free Agent Faceoff: Max Scherzer/Walker Buehler
• Nick Martinez To Accept Qualifying Offer From Reds
• Luis Severino Unlikely To Accept Qualifying Offer
• 17 rookies who formed an elite NL class
• Today in Baseball History

Best of X:

Roster moves.

AFL bats.

AFL arms.