A’s roster moves: Rooker back, Alvarez optioned, plus a new reliever

Couple roster moves before the final Bay Bridge Series

The Oakland Athletics announced a few roster moves in the afternoon leading up to the final Bay Bridge Series between our A’s and the cross-bay rival San Francisco Giants:

Getting Rooker back will be a huge boost to the offense. Already among the sport’s better hitters in just his second full season, last year’s All-Star has stepped it up further here in Year 2, slashing .293/.367/.583 with 29 home runs and 83 RBI as the primary Oakland DH. Thankfully he was only gone for a couple days to welcome a baby girl into the world (congrats!). Tonight would be a perfect night for him to cross that 30-homer threshold.

To make room for Rooker the club optioned rookie infielder Armando Alvarez back to Triple-A. Originally called up to take Rooker’s spot on the roster for the final two games against the Mets, Alvarez made it into both contests, going 0-for-1 in a pinch-hit appearance in the first and starting the second contest at first base and going 1-for-2. The young righty-swinger has held his own in his two very brief stints with the club and will likely get another crack with the A’s in the near future.

Getting Rook back isn’t the only move the club is making today though. Shuffling the bullpen a bit, the club optioned the newly acquired Will Klein to Triple-A on Friday. Having only just joined the organization less than three weeks ago, the hard-throwing Klein was perfect in his first two outings with his new club before a disastrous third appearance saw him yield five runs in one single appearance, walking three while recording just one out. Klein clearly didn’t have it that day and won’t be discounted down the line but for now he’ll make way for another young reliever with high expectations.

That reliever is right-hander Grant Holman, a former 6th-rounder from the University of California Berkeley. Drafted by our A’s back in 2021, the 24-year-old Holman has shot up the ranks over the past couple years and is now currently the #21 prospect in the farm system. This season alone he began in Double-A. Holman was practically untouchable for Midland as he didn’t allow a single run in 19 ¹⁄₃ innings while allowing just 12 hits compared to 24 strikeouts. That earned him a promotion to Triple-A where he was mortal but still dominant. In 29 ¹⁄₃ frames for the Aviators Holman has allowed just three earned runs, good for a pristine 0.92 ERA while also racking up 30 K’s. Holman looks like he has a bright future as a reliever, with possible closing stuff in that arsenal of his. We may see him as soon as tonight against the Giants.