A Rare Time I’m Maybe Jealous Of A Giants Transaction
Rare because with no disrespect intended (ok mayyyyybe a little), in recent years the San Francisco Giants have become kind of a dull team, littered with “average-ish” players that help them to about a .500 record except randomly 1 year out of 7.
The players that have helped the Giants to mediocrity have been often as bland as a .500 record. Sure I would love to have Logan Webb headlining the A’s rotation, but players I envy are few and far between.
That brings me to a player who might have been a perfect addition to the 2025 A’s: their old über-nemesis, Justin Verlander. He signed a contract in line with what the A’s are able to dole out this off-season, just 1 year and $15M. And I don’t have to tell you what he can do when he’s right.
Disclaimer
Before wondering how it might have been had our kryptonite come on board to our side, let me say that where the A’s front office and I disagree is on whether the team needs to add another SP. I discuss Verlander only in the context of the A’s seeming intent on looking at another SP, but were it up to me the focus would be strictly on the bullpen at this point.
We know “you can never have too much starting pitching” and that injuries come fast and furious, especially nowadays. So your “first 5” are far from your “last 5” and it’s generally a good idea to grab “one more SP” than not to.
That being said, the A’s will go into camp with Luis Severino, Jeffrey Springs, JP Sears, Osvaldo Bido, and Mitch Spence penciled in. The initial depth chart isn’t even necessarily a drop-off. JT Ginn could be as good or better than Spence for all we know, and Joey Estes, 5 years younger and coming off a rookie season in which he was just 22, could prove to be better than Bido.
Beyond that you have Hogan Harris and Brady Basso, who again could arguably be first up on the depth chart, and if any of the back end starting pitchers go down there is no guarantee it won’t cause an accidental upgrade.
It’s also pretty certain that by the time the A’s need to go any farther down the depth chart, not only will Gunnar Hoglund be more than ready, higher upside prospects Mason Barnett and Jack Perkins will be AAA seasoned.
So I feel like the A’s have enough depth right now as is, and an addition will only push down a pitcher to whom the A’s should be giving some big league time. That being said, what the “#6-#10” starting pitchers lack is upper-mid rotation upside and if Severino or Springs goes down you would love to have a Verlander more than you would be itching for a Basso.
Verlander
Verlander is 41 and coming off a bad season marred by injury. In fact the two were intertwined as a bad neck rendered Verlander unable to complete his best pitches in customary dominant fashion.
If he is back fully healthy, there is reason to think he can still master big league hitters. In 2023 he was very good, going 13-8 with a 3.22 ERA. And as recently as 2022 he was Justin-credible: 18-4, 1.75 ERA.
But I don’t have to sell you on what a healthy Verlander can do. At least in his 20s and 30s he was a terror to the league and only more so to the A’s. The question, of course, is how much does he have left in the tank? A one-year commitment is not the biggest risk to find out.
All of which is to say I would have not been at all cross had I woken up to see that the A’s, not their former-cross-bay rivals, had invested $15M in a 1-year deal to bring Verlander to their side.
I’m not heartbroken or anything, just mildly envious of the team that gets to watch Verlander pitch and actually root for his success. I expect he’ll have a pretty good season, if not a really good season, and I sure wouldn’t mind benefiting from Verlander at his best.
Oh well. Verlander may have a storied history and possibly still a good future but he’s probably not going to carry the Giants past the Dodgers in the standings. So I guess I still get to close with a — respectful, mind you — nyah nyah nyah nyah nyah. Go A’s.