Report: A’s trade Boyle, others for Springs in deal with Rays originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
The A’s are staying busy this offseason.
The team is finalizing a trade to acquire left-handed pitcher Jeffrey Springs of the Tampa Bay Rays, ESPN’s Jeff Passan reported Saturday morning, citing sources.
Tampa Bay will receive right-handers Joe Boyle and Jacob Watters, outfielder Will Simpson and a compensation pick from the A’s for Springs and another player who has not yet been named, Passan added.
The A’s are finalizing a trade to acquire left-handed pitcher Jeffrey Springs from the Tampa Bay Rays, sources tell ESPN. Several players are going in both directions, but as the A’s look to spend, they get a rotation piece in Springs under club control for three more seasons.
—Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) December 14, 2024
Springs joined the Rays after being acquired from the Boston Red Sox in 2021. It didn’t take long for Springs to establish himself as a solid reliever with a high strikeout count. Tampa Bay eventually moved him into their starting rotation, where he enjoyed a career year in 2022, as he compiled 3.1 fWAR and was rewarded with a four-year, $31 million contract extension.
Springs has often looked like a potential Cy Young Award candidate, when healthy. After a breakout 2022 campaign (2.46 ERA, 1.07 WHIP, 144 strikeouts in 135 innings), Springs made just three starts before suffering a season-ending elbow injury in 2023.
He pitched just 16 innings before an injury required Tommy John surgery in 2023, which would sideline him for the remainder of the season. The Rays shut him down in September of the 2024 season, placing him on the injured list due to elbow fatigue.
Springs will earn $10.5 million in 2026 and has a team option for $15 million in 2027.