Athletics agree to one-year deal with World Series champion pitcher originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
The Athletics remain busy this offseason.
Hours after revealing two new jersey patches for the 2025 MLB season on Friday, the Athletics officially announced the signing of right-handed reliever José Leclerc. ESPN’s Jeff Passan first reported the deal to be worth $10 million.
To make room on the 40-man roster, right-handed pitcher Will Klein was designated for assignment.
Leclerc will call Sutter Health Park home after spending his entire nine-year MLB career with the Texas Rangers. He exits the Lone Star State with a 12-20 record, 3.27 ERA, 473 strikeouts and 41 saves over 360 1/3 innings.
Leclerc appears to be the Athletics’ replacement for Lucas Erceg, who was star closer Mason Miller’s trustworthy set-up man before being traded to the Kansas City Royals before the 2024 MLB trade deadline. Fourth-year Athletics manager Mark Kotsay likely will have the option to deploy Leclerc for multi-inning shifts, given the 31-year-old pitched more than one inning in 26.6 percent (17 of 64) games last season.
Last season wasn’t Leclerc’s best. After carrying a sub-3.0 ERA through the 2022 and 2023 campaigns, Leclerc posted a 4.32 ERA and allowed a career-worst 56 hits over 66 2/3 frames.
But, the numbers prove he still has plenty left in the tank.
Leclerc posted a healthy 3.48 FIP in 2024 — which was better than his 3.62 from his Rangers’ 2023 World Series run — and was in the 96th percentile for both his 36.0-percent whiff rate and his 30.7-percent hard-hit rate. Leclerc’s six-pitch arsenal, headlined by his four-seamer and cutter, remains effective overall and potentially could be bettered under a new set of eyes.
The Athletics have been active in the offseason after their emotional divorce from Oakland and fourth-straight playoff-less year. And adding Leclerc seems like another promising chess move on the surface.
General manager David Forst and the Athletics also have acquired ace Luis Severino, two-way Japanese prospect Shotaro Morii, pitcher Jeffrey Springs, third baseman Gio Urshela and retained star designated hitter/outfielder Brent Rooker with a massive contract extension.