The A’s claimed three pitchers unclaimed on outright waivers: Right-hander Anthony Maldonado and left-handed Ben Bowden and Jared Schuster. Maldonado and Bowden were both elected free agents, and as players who have been beaten more than once in their careers, they also have rights. This is Shuster’s first straight game, so he will be assigned to Triple-A Las Vegas and remain in the system until 2026.
Here are three of the five players the Athletics waived this week. right leaning Michel Otanez and catcher Willie McKeever Claimed by the State of Texas. That reduces their 40-man roster to 38 players. All teams must be at or below 40 players until Thursday, when they need to activate everyone on the 60-day injured list.
Maldonado was claimed off waivers by the Miami Heat last winter. The A’s struck him shortly before the start of spring training but placed him back on the roster in May. He retained a spot on the 40-man for the rest of the season but spent most of his time on optional duty with Triple-A Las Vegas. The 27-year-old has a 5.10 ERA despite boasting an impressive 29% strikeout rate in the top minor leagues. Maldonado walked almost 12 percent of his opponents and gave up a fair number of earned runs in 47 2/3 innings. He pitched just six times for the A’s at the MLB level, allowing eight runs on three home runs in six innings.
Bowden, 31, signed a minor league contract this offseason. The 6-foot-4 left-hander has not pitched in the majors since his rookie season in 2021 with Colorado. He got back to his highest level early in the second half. Bowden posted a 1.36 ERA in 39 2/3 Triple-A innings, earning an MLB appearance. He pitched 10 2/3 innings in 11 games, allowing six runs (5 ERA) with seven strikeouts and five walks. In August, he suffered a season-ending lat strain.
Schuster was the only member of the trio to stick with the group, and he’s probably the most famous. That says a lot about his status as a former first-round pick of the Warriors. He appeared in parts of three MLB games between Atlanta and the White Sox. The Wake Forest product has a career ERA of 5.27 and a well-below-average strikeout rate of 15.1% in 141 2/3 innings. The Athletics claimed him off waivers from Chicago before the trade deadline. The rest of his season in Triple-A, he allowed just under a run per inning, struck out seven, and allowed over 10 bases apiece.
