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Athletics sign 31-year-old pitcher who made MLB debut with Padres
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- Athletics sign 31-year-old pitcher who made MLB debut with Padres
Athletics sign 31-year-old pitcher who made MLB debut with Padres originally appeared on The Sporting News . Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here .
The Athletics are taking a flier on a pitcher who has a 7.06 ERA in 21.2 career innings at the Major League level.
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According to Ari Alexander of Boston 7 News , the A's signed former San Diego Padres and Houston Astros relief pitcher Nick Hernandez . The contract is reportedly a minor league deal, presumably with an invite to spring training.
Hernandez made his debut in 2023 with the Padres and threw 10.2 innings out of the Astros' bullpen as a long reliever this past season. He struck out 11 of the 52 batters he faced but walked eight and allowed three home runs.
The state of the Athletics ' bullpen
The A's hope to return to the postseason next year and feature an underrated lineup filled with rising stars like Nick Kurtz and Tyler Soderstrom . They also made a trade for infielder Jeff McNeil from the New York Mets .
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For the bullpen, they've added Mark Leiter Jr. , but Jose Leclerc and Scott McGough are both free agents. Swingman Sean Newcomb , who made 36 appearances with the A's in 2025, signed with the Chicago White Sox .
If Hernandez makes the Opening Day roster, manager Mark Kotsay could use him in middle relief and to eat innings. He has three minor league options remaining.
