MESA, Ariz. – After a frustrating 2023 season in which he was pushed into a bullpen role for a middling team, veteran pitcher Alex Wood decided this offseason not to re-sign with the San Francisco Giants.
Where the former All-Star went next was a surprise.
Wood, entering his 12th season in the majors, signed with the cross-bay rivals, the Oakland Athletics, on a one-year, $8.5 million deal. Though he had a down year in 2023 with a 4.33 ERA over 97 ⅔ innings, Wood is confident about the move to Oakland despite the team’s last-place finishes over the last two years.
It may seem like an odd choice, but having the ability to start games and make an impact is something Wood was looking for when making his decision.
“The biggest thing was the opportunity to start every fifth day,” he said. “Also, it’s nice to be wanted.”
His veteran leadership and proven track record stood out to the A’s front office and manager Mark Kotsay, who plans to use Wood as a starter after he lost his spot in the Giants’ unorthodox rotation last year under then-manager Gabe Kapler.
“They (Wood and Ross Stripling) have the back of a baseball card,” Kotsay said, “which a lot of guys at camp don’t.”
And although the grind of spring training is familiar to Wood, Hohokam Stadium is all new. Yesterday, during the first day of spring training, he had to ask new teammate Mitch Spence if he was going in the right direction.
Outside of that, he said adjusting hasn’t been too complicated so far, and he’s enjoying getting to know his new teammates. He described them as “super cool,” and having familiar faces around like Stripling and Scott Alexander can’t hurt either. Before Wood and Stripling pitched on the Giants together, they spent several years with the Dodgers, where they also overlapped with new A’s signee Scott Alexander.
“He’s just a really great guy and a good leader,” Wood said, adding that he knew the A’s were making a play for his former teammate before Stripling himself heard the news.
Kotsay agreed and said it was good that Alexander, Stripling and Wood could all rely on one another.
“Ross, Alex and Scott all were really excited to come here and be together, and they obviously have some relationship aspect to their history, and that’s great for them to be comfortable and get their feet on the ground,” Kotsay said.
In early February, the A’s acquired Stripling in a trade with the Giants that sent minor league outfielder Jonah Cox across the bay. Stripling, like his longtime friend and teammate, Wood, also had a rough go of it in 2023. He pitched 89 innings with a 5.36 ERA and an 0-5 record.
But Kotsay isn’t too worried about the pair’s ability to bounce back.
“They’ll have their ups and downs as well all do,” he said. “Those guys have been through seasons and the expectation is that they will fill the role as they always have.”
When it comes to personal expectations, Wood is hoping to work on his slider shape throughout spring training to make it more consistent.
“The shape has been pretty consistent lately,” he said. “But we’re just gonna continue to try and have the transfer to the games and see where we’re at.”
With another young roster during this A’s rebuild, Kotsay will be relying on the veteran experience of his new starting pitchers in the clubhouse. Wood is excited about the chance to mentor up-and-coming teammates.
“I’ve had some great guys around me early on in my career and I want to be helpful in any way to all these young guys that are marking the first few years of their career,” he said.