Astros trade right-hander Brandon Bielak to the Athletics in exchange for cash, according to a team announcement. Houston appointed him to work last week. A’s designated left hand Easton Lucas with an assignment to open a spot on the 40-man roster.
Bielak, 28, has struggled with the ‘Stros this season, posting a 5.71 earned run average in 10 appearances (17 1/3 innings). His 10.8% strikeout rate and 5.5% swing rate are both career lows.
That said, Bielak has been a solid player over the past three seasons with Houston. From 2021-23, he had a 4.05 ERA in a career-long 142 1/3 innings, striking out 19.2% of his opponents against a 9.8% walk rate. The former 11th-round pick made 15 starts and tallied another 33 relief appearances in that span. He’s not a flamethrower, but Bielak has averaged 93.4 mph on his heater during that three-year span and has kept the ball down at a solid 48.1% clip. He posted similar numbers over parts of four Triple-A campaigns, recording a 3.98 ERA with a 24.3% strikeout rate and a 9.6% walk rate in 246 2/3 frames.
Bielak is out of the minor leagues, so he will jump right into the Oakland staff. OA have started Joe Boyle (back strain), Paul Blackburn (foot stress response) and Alex Wood (shoulder tendinitis) on the injured list this month. They also announced that the lefty was injured Ken Waldichuk done for the season due to elbow surgery. The addition of Bielak will help fill out some of that depth, whether he slots into the rotation or provides a long-term relief option. Rule 5 is correct Mitch Spence has been Oakland’s main man this year, but he’s played well and could work his way into the rotation.
Because he only has 2,110 years of major league service, Bielak can be controlled for three more years beyond the current season. He’ll need to carve out a role for himself in the lineup and return to his 2021-23 form if that’s going to be a factor, but there’s a good chance he’ll earn more years if Bielak returns. on the way. He will be eligible for compensation for the first time this winter and shouldn’t see too much of a raise, given his role as a low-rated swingman and occasional back-to-back starter.
Bielak’s addition to the lineup comes at the expense of the 27-year-old Lucas, who made his major league debut with the A’s last year but has seen a total of 10 1/3 innings in the majors. It was a struggle for that small sample, to say the least. Lucas was charged with twelve runs (10.45 ERA) on 18 hits and twelve walks and 13 strikeouts. A massive .459 average on balls in play contributed to his offensive numbers, but Lucas didn’t hurt himself by walking just over 12% of his opponents.
As one might expect, things have gotten better for the junior high. Lucas split the 2023 season between Double-A and Triple-A, posting a combined 3.86 ERA in 46 2/3 innings. He struck out 25.8% of batters and walked 8.6%. The southpaw posted a 2.87 ERA in 15 2/3 innings of Triple-A work this year as well — albeit with 13 strikeouts against six walks. The A’s acquired Lucas from the Orioles last July in a trade for the righty Shintaro Fujinami back in Baltimore.
Oakland selected Lucas off the 40-man roster last summer but traded him outright a few months later, in November. Because of that prior direct assignment, he will have the right to decline a minor league assignment in favor of a free offer even if he is not claimed a second time. Therefore, there is a chance that today’s DFA ends his tenure with A’s organization within a year of being acquired in a trade deadline.
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