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Athletics Add Joel Kuhnel on Minor-League Deal, Assign Righty to Triple-A

The ground-ball specialist gets a spring chance to win a bullpen job after a strong Triple-A season.

Overview

  • Kuhnel signed a minor-league contract with Oakland and was assigned to the Triple-A Las Vegas Aviators, per the team’s transaction log.
  • In 2025 at Triple-A with the Yankees’ and Phillies’ affiliates, he posted a 3.53 ERA over 63 2/3 innings with a 21.6% strikeout rate, 4.2% walk rate and a 65.4% ground-ball rate.
  • He averages mid-95s velocity on his four-seamer and sinker and has kept 52% of batted balls on the ground in his MLB career.
  • He is out of minor-league options, so any call-up would require him to stick on the roster or go through waivers, and he could decline an outright assignment.
  • A’s relievers ranked 24th in ERA and WHIP in 2025, and with few experienced arms beyond recent signee Mark Leiter Jr., innings are available for bullpen contenders this spring.