A's Option Six Players to Triple-A Las Vegas in Spring Training Roster Cuts

The Athletics trimmed 15 players from their Spring Training roster on March 9, optioning six to Triple-A Las Vegas and reassigning nine others to minor league camp as the club pushes toward finalizing its Opening Day group with just over two weeks remaining in the Cactus League schedule.

The six players optioned to Las Vegas were left-handed pitcher Brady Basso, right-handed pitchers Mason Barnett, Braden Nett, and Chen Zhong-Ao Zhuang, infielder Brett Harris, and outfielder Junior Perez. Harris is the most seasoned of the group at the big league level, having appeared in 32 games for Oakland last season and posted a .274 average over 84 plate appearances.

Nine additional players were reassigned to minor league camp: left-handed pitchers Jamie Arnold and Ben Bowden, right-handed pitchers Geoff Hartlieb and Cade Morris, catcher Bryan Lavastida, infielders Euribiel Angeles and Joshua Kuroda-Graurer, and outfielders Clark Elliott and Ryan Lasko.

Following the moves, the A's have 46 players remaining in camp, comprising 32 players on the 40-man roster and 14 non-roster invitees. The roster breaks down to 24 pitchers, four catchers, 10 infielders, and eight outfielders.

Oakland is not alone in thinning its camp roster at this stage of the spring. The Pittsburgh Pirates made a similar round of cuts the same day, optioning five players to Triple-A Indianapolis and reassigning three others to minor league camp, leaving Pittsburgh with 54 players in Major League camp.

For the A's, the pitching heavy composition of the six players sent to Las Vegas reflects the depth of arms competing for roster spots this spring. Barnett, Nett, and Zhuang all figure to anchor the Triple-A rotation or bullpen as the organization monitors its options heading into the regular season.