The Athletics are not having a good season based on the preseason expectations. While they weren’t poised to hoist the Commissioner’s Trophy, more was expected from a group that posted an encouraging finish last season. Unfortunately, the poor results are leading the front office to listen to various trade proposals ahead of the deadline.
According to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic, the A’s are listening to offers on pitchers Jeffrey Springs and JP Sears. It sets up a situation in which the Tampa Bay Rays could potentially reunite with one of their former pitchers. In effect, they may end up reacquiring a player they traded only a few months ago.
A’s Willing to Dangle Jeffrey Springs?
Jeffrey Springs was sent to the A’s last December, in exchange for Joe Boyle, Jacob Watters, Will Simpson, and a draft pick. It represented a nice haul for the Rays from an area of surplus. Springs’s career in a Rays uniform was largely positive despite a handful of injuries.
Latest notes:
*DBacks predicament
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*Available A’s starters
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*Originator of swing-off
*Schwarber legend growshttps://t.co/HNnbmZ9tsj pic.twitter.com/qmuxikrkGl
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) July 21, 2025
Springs has endured a rocky 2025 campaign so far, pitching to a 4.18 ERA in 114 innings. His strikeout and walk rates are in the 25th and 54th percentiles, respectively. Having said that, his .248 BABIP indicates a little bad luck, and the average exit velocity and hard hit rates are at least respectable. The numbers are what they are, but the Rays know him because of the time he spent in their uniform. Why not take a chance on a player with approximately $15 million left over the next one-plus seasons?
The Rays Should Pounce
The Rays are in a position to add talent at this summer’s deadline. Each day brings a fresh set of trade rumors regarding their pitching staff. In today’s game, it’s vital to have more and more arms on a pitching staff. The 2025 season has certainly demonstrated just how pitching-rich the Rays really are. They were certainly justified in originally shipping off Springs.
The club has experienced an extremely fortunate set of circumstances regarding the health of the pitching staff. That doesn’t mean it will last forever. Look at a team like the New York Mets. Their pitching was performing so well in the first two months of the season that there were rumors about potentially dealing from the surplus. Then the Kodai Senga injury produced a domino effect that caused the team to enter a mild slump. The Rays have to be careful about following that dreaded pathway. The pitching can look amazing in one breath, and then it can be a totally different story.
History Repeating Itself?
The Rays reacquiring a pitcher who previously pitched in their uniform brings to mind the career of Chris Archer. The Rays are infamous for the Chris Archer trade with the Pittsburgh Pirates a few years ago. It turned out to be one of the most lopsided trades in baseball history, sending a declining pitcher to Pittsburgh while the Rays amassed a boatload of young talent.
The interesting part was how the Rays reacquired Archer during the 2020-2021 offseason via a one-year free-agent contract. Archer wasn’t good for Tampa Bay in his second stint with the club, pitching to a 4.66 ERA in only 19 1/3 innings. Still, it demonstrated how a team can trade a pitcher and then reacquire the same guy under different circumstances. Fortunately, the expectations for Archer’s second stint were much lower, but it was still worth a shot.
The Rays should be doing everything they can to see if Springs still has anything left in the tank. Springs would probably welcome a return because of the strong relationship he still has with many of the players. The Rays can use more pitching, and Springs would be excited about joining a team in the midst of a postseason chase.
Main Photo Credit: © Ken Blaze-Imagn Images
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