A's Sign Joe Wieland to Minor League Deal

Joe Wieland was selected in the fourth round of the 2008 Draft by the Texas Rangers, and made his big-league debut with the San Diego Padres in 2012. He was one of the players involved in the trade that sent Yasmani Grandal to the Los Angeles Dodgers for Matt Kemp. He was traded a couple more times before deciding to play overseas for the 2017 season in Japan's NPB. 

On the cusp of his 33rd birthday, the 6-foot-2 right-hander is still plugging along and looking for another opportunity.

The one skill that he has maintained at every stop along the way has been his command. In his 52.2 big-league innings, he holds a 3.2 BB/9, and in his time in Japan that sat at 2.7 walks per nine. Wieland spent the 2019 season in the KBO, going 8-10 with a 5.18 ERA across 165 innings. His walk rate held at 3.2 per nine. 

He signed with the Tampa Bay Rays last May, getting a few innings in both Rookie Ball and Triple-A. With the Durham Bulls he accumulated 12 innings to go along with a 3.00 ERA, a 1.250 WHIP, a strikeout rate of 7.2 per nine and a walk rate of 1.9 per nine. He made three starts initially, then had two more appearances in relief before getting released on August 14. 

2015 is the only season that there is Statcast data on Wieland, and per that data, he was sitting at 91 mph on his fastball and also had a knuckle curve and a circle change. I'd be a little surprised if he hasn't added a slider to the mix in the past seven seasons, given that sliders rule baseball these days.  

His spin rate and his velo ranked in the 37th and 30th percentiles back then, but his extension was top notch, ranking in the 95th percentile. 

Wieland will likely start the season either in Double-A or Triple-A, depending on how ready the A's feel he is. He's a low-risk signing with a little upside because he can keep the ball in the zone. My guess is that he's a depth add for a potential relief role, but he has the ability to eat some innings too. He's the kind of guy the A's could call up if the bullpen is gassed.