As the A's gear up for a competitive 2027 season before their big move to Las Vegas in 2028, they need to make changes on the team and throughout the organization.
The club made a huge change to its head of baseball operations, as they mutually agreed to part ways with GM David Forst. They could also make a move to fire their manager, Mark Kotsay, before the start of the season.
Aug 25, 2026; West Sacramento, California, USA; Athletics outfielders Carlos Cortes (26), Henry Bolte (33), and Lawrence Butler (4) celebrate their win against the Minnesota Twins at Sutter Health Park. Mandatory Credit: Dennis Lee-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Moves will also have to be made on the field. Because the A's are playing one more season in a minor league site, landing pitchers in free agency could be tough.
Instead, they will have to be active in the trade market, and luckily for the A's, this veteran starter is the perfect fit.
Sep 8, 2026; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Royals starting pitcher Michael Wacha (52) delivers a pitch against the Arizona Diamondbacks during the first inning at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
This is not the first time we have discussed the Royals' Michael Wacha as a perfect fit for the A's, but since the team fell out of the division around deadline time, they were not very active at all.
Now that the team is gearing up to compete again, landing a pitcher with ace potential is one of their highest priorities. Wacha has been doing just that for years.
The A's rotation is depleted, and they could lose veteran starters, Luis Severino and Jeffrey Springs, due to an opt-out and a club option.
If there was ever a perfect time for the A's to bring in a starter of Wacha's caliber, it's now. The Royals have a handful of starters, and they could look to bring in some younger bats from the A's, as they do have a surplus of them.
Sep 20, 2026; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Kansas City Royals starting pitcher Michael Wacha (52) delivers a pitch against the Pittsburgh Pirates during the first inning at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Once MLB players hit their early-to-mid thirties, people start expecting a decline in performance. However, since Wacha has aged, he's actually been pitching better for Kansas City.
Wacha actually pitched the most innings of any American League pitcher with 200.2 innings tossed, and he did that at 35 years old. He didn't just eat innings for the Royals, he also shone in those innings.
The veteran right-hander finished his 2026 campaign with an impressive 3.32 ERA. Since 2022, Wacha has posted a sub-3.50 ERA in every season except 2025, when he still posted a solid 3.86 ERA in 172.2 innings.
Clearly, Wacha is still capable of pitching lots of innings and doing a good job in those innings as well. Sure, his age could be a deal-breaker, but as he has aged, he has looked even better. Because the team could be losing their veteran starters, bringing in someone with the success Wacha has had is huge.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/mlb/athletics/onsi as This AL Pitcher Is Perfect Trade Target for Athletics .
