A’s roster moves: JT Ginn selected, Alexander to IL

Finally getting a look at Ginn in the big leagues

The Athletics announced just a few short hours before their game against the Rays that they have selected the contract of right-hander pitcher JT Ginn and added him to the active roster:

It’ll be Ginn’s big league debut when he takes the mound for the A’s, likely sometime during this Rays series. While Ginn has been exclusively a starting pitcher this year in the minor leagues, he’ll be used a little differently in his first big league stint with the club:

It’s not an especially surprising role change for Ginn’s first cup of coffee in the bigs. Originally acquired in the ill-fated Chris Bassitt trade with the Mets, Ginn was a former 2nd-round draft pick back in the 2020 draft (and was a 1st round pick in 2018 but elected to go to college instead). Ginn is the only remaining piece from the Bassitt trade after Adam Oller’s disastrous tenure ended last year.

Now in his third year in the Oakland organization, Ginn began the year at Double-A Midland where he looked solid in six starts. That prompted a promotion to Triple-A where things have gone anything but smoothly for Ginn. In 14 starts (and one relief appearance) the 25-year old posted a 5.72 ERA in the hitter-friendly environment that is the PCL. He’s been hurt by the amount of walks he’s been yielding but maybe a transition to the bullpen for the rest of the year can help him figure something out. Ginn would have been eligible for the Rule 5 Draft this coming offseason so the club is electing to add him to the roster now instead of in a couple months when they would have anyway. Oakland will maintain team control over Ginn for the next six tears after this season wraps up.

Making room on the roster, the club elected to put veteran reliever Scott Alexander on the IL with left rotator cuff tendinitis. It was surprising that the club elected to hold on to Alexander at the trade deadline but hindsight is 20/20. Alexander may attempt to try to come back this season so that he enters free agency this off-season without the shoulder problem affecting his market but at the same time the club may elect to just shut him down, both because of the ominous sounding injury but also to let a younger arm (like Ginn) get some big league innings under their belt. No announcement has been made in that department but we should get some sort of timeline for Alexander in the coming days.