Should The A's Bring Back Alex Wood?

Just last off-season, the A's made a surprising move by adding veteran left-hander Alex Wood, with the team handing him a one-year contract worth $8.5 million.

What seemed like a good addition at the time turned out pretty rough for both parties in his one year with the green and gold.

Out of Spring Training, manager Mark Kotsay elected Alex Wood to be the club's Opening Day starter over JP Sears, which was controversial among the fan base. Kotsay spoke very highly of Wood after it was announed that Wood would pitch the team's regular season opener.

"You could see the emotion that he was feeling. He’s been on rosters to be able to do it for the last 11 years, so it was great to reward him. We targeted him this offseason. He wanted to come here and pitch. Everything just felt right about this.”

The start of Wood's 2024 campaign with the A's was off to a rough start, when on Opening Day, the Cleveland Guardians put up six runs on the left-hander. The rest of his time with the A's didn't go much better. After just 39 1/3 innings in green and gold, Wood posted a 5.26 ERA, giving up 27 runs. In mid-July, Wood missed time due to a left shoulder injury.

Alex Wood's season would end up being over, as Manager Mark Kotsay revealed that Wood needed a procedure due to rotator cuff tendinitis.

The veteran left-hander certainly didn't have the campaign he or the organization hoped for after the team gave him a contract for the 2024 season. However, the 34-year-old is now on the open market, and is unlikely to get a big contract contract coming off a rough and injury-riddled season. There is a chance the club could land him back on a minor-league contract to help him get back on track in 2025.

The A's have several left-handed starters on the 40-man roster currently, including Brady Basso, Hogan Harris, Jacob Lopez, JP Sears, Jeffrey Springs, and the injured Ken Waldichuk. If the club was able to land Wood on a minor league contract, he wouldn't have to be on the 40-man roster, which means they could allow him to ramp up in the minors before possibly selecting his contract at some point.

It is also unknown if Wood will be 100% ready for Spring Training due to his injury from last season. Even if Wood isn’t ready to pitch yet, keeping him in the organization to continue his rehab could prove valuable during the dog days of August, especially as injuries arise and the team needs a veteran left-hander at the big-league level.

Although Wood's stats and injuries make him a possible unappealing addition for the 2025 season, the former All-Star and World Series Champion could be a useful player for the A's as they hope to continue their ascent this coming season.