Athletics trade Boyle, others for Springs in deal with Rays appeared originally on NBC Sports Bay Area
Athletics are busy this offseason.
The team acquired left-handed pitchers Jeffrey Springs and Jacob Lopez from the Tampa Bay Rays in exchange for right-handed pitchers Joe Boyle and Jacob Watters, outfielder Will Simpson and a 2025 balance-round A pick.
ESPN’s Jeff Passan first reported it Saturday morning, and the Athletics made the move official shortly after.
Springs is entering his eighth MLB season after spending the past seven seasons with the Texas Rangers, Boston Red Sox and Tampa Bay Rays.
Springs joined the Rays after being acquired from the Boston Red Sox in 2021. It didn’t take long for him to establish himself as a solid, high-strikeout reliever. Tampa Bay eventually moved him into their starting rotation, where he enjoyed a career year in 2022, amassing 3.1 fWAR and was rewarded with a four-year, $31 million contract extension.
Springs has often looked like a potential Cy Young Award candidate — when healthy. After a breakout campaign in 2022 (2.46 ERA, 1.07 WHIP, 144 strikeouts in 135 innings), Springs made just three starts before suffering a season-ending elbow injury in 2023.
He threw just 16 innings that year before an injury resulted in Tommy John surgery that sidelined him for the rest of the season. The Rays shut him down in September of the 2024 season and placed him on IL due to elbow fatigue.
Springs will make $10.5 million in 2026 and has a team option for $15 million in 2027.
Lopez was originally drafted by the San Francisco Giants in 2018 before being traded to Tampa Bay in 2019. He is 16-17 with a 2.99 ERA, 425 strikeouts and 136 walks in five minor league seasons. He missed the entire 2022 season after undergoing Tommy John surgery.