The Athletics said at the winter meetings that they will not trade designated hitter Brent Rooker, and center fielder JJ Bleday also falls into that category, according to a source briefed on the team's thinking. The A's desperately want to add plays as they transition to playing their home games in a minor-league stadium in Sacramento in 2025, but they are also reluctant to trade the few quality players they have. Star closer Mason Miller perhaps could be on the trade block, but the A's would want a quality position player under long-term control in return. The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal wrote earlier this year that if the San Diego Padres wanted Miller, the A's likely would have asked for outfielder Jackson Merrill. The A's are deep in outfield prospects, but they're looking for immediate big-league help, which the rest of the league is also doing.
Oakland Athletics outfielders JJ Bleday and Seth Brown and infielder Max Schuemann are all out of the starting lineup in Wednesday's series finale against the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field with a left-hander on the mound. As a result, Daz Cameron will start in center field and bat cleanup, Tyler Nevin will man left field and hit eighth, and Nick Allen will start at the hot corner and hit ninth against Cubs left-hander Justin Steele, who is making his first start off the injured list. Bleday has hit a pedestrian .246 (133-for-540) in his third year in the big leagues in 2024, but he has quietly hit the 20-homer mark and driven in 56 runs in 149 games for a bad A's team. He's hit .229 (25-for-109) with six of his 20 long balls on the year against southpaws. Cameron has the most DFS upside in the four-hole, but he's hit just .201 with five homers and five steals in 159 at-bats.
Oakland Athletics outfielder JJ Bleday had a monster day at the dish on Thursday, going 5-for-5 with two doubles, a homer, three runs scored, and an RBI. Bleday has had a productive season for the Athletics, swatting 19 homers with a .789 OPS. Unfortunately, he doesn't steal bases and has had trouble getting counting stats while hitting in a mediocre Oakland lineup. If the A's can get some hitting help in the offseason, Bleday could be a decent sleeper option for fantasy next year. For this year, though, he remains a deep league option with streamer appeal in standard formats.
JJ Bleday, Seth Smith On The Bench Against A Lefty
Oakland Athletics outfielders JJ Bleday and Seth Smith will retreat to the bench on Thursday against the Tampa Bay Rays at Oakland Coliseum with a left-hander starting. Daz Cameron gets the nod in center field and will hit fifth for Oakland, with Tyler Nevin starting at first base and batting seventh against Rays left-hander Jeffrey Springs. Cameron and Nevin have a combined five career at-bats against Springs. Bleday has bounced back in his second year with the A's in 2023 to the tune of a .243/.326/.449 slash line with a career-best .775 OPS, but it hasn't moved the needle all that much in mixed fantasy leagues. He has added 17 home runs, 48 RBI and 59 runs scored in 125 games played. He hasn't been that good against southpaws, though, hitting .238 (19-for-80) with six of his 17 home runs against them. Bleday has looked good in August with four homers, three doubles, 11 RBI and a steal in 17 games.
Oakland Athletics outfielder JJ Bleday hit his 16th homer in Monday's 3-0 win over the Tampa Bay Rays. Bleday's two-run shot, a 388-foot blast off Rays pitcher Taj Bradley, came in the bottom of the first inning and was all the offense Oakland needed. He is now hitting .245/.327/.447 with 47 RBI and 58 runs scored. Bleday has been more productive in the last 30 days, hitting .298/.385/.512 with four homers, 13 RBI, and 15 runs scored. Fantasy managers should consider adding Bleday if he's available on waiver wires, and those in dynasty formats should acquire Bleday, who is positioned to be a breakout performer in 2025 and beyond.
Oakland Athletics outfielder JJ Bleday had a monster day at the dish on Thursday, going 3-for-5 with a grand slam. Bleday also walked, scored two runs, and stole a base to add to his line. Bleday's grand slam came off southpaw Jose Quintana, making it even more impressive for the lefty. The 26-year-old has been impressive all year, but has really turned it up in August, slashing .341/.431/.545 with two homers and a steal. While he isn't must-roster, Bleday should be owned in all 15-team leagues or anything deeper at this point and isn't a bad hot-hand play in shallower leagues either.
JJ Bleday Goes 3-For-4 With Homer, Walk, Three RBI
Oakland Athletics outfielder JJ Bleday had three hits, including a homer and three RBI, as the Athletics went on to beat the Toronto Blue Jays by a score of 8-4 on Sunday. Bleday has had a fairly productive season and has been extraordinarily hot of late. In his last 15 games, he is slashing .304/.385/.500 with two home runs, five RBI, and a 6:4 BB:K. Bleday is available in 41% of Yahoo fantasy leagues. If he can keep up this pace, he could be a valuable addition to fantasy teams down the stretch of 2024.
Oakland Unlikely To Deal Brent Rooker, JJ Bleday At Deadline
Oakland Athletics outfielders Brent Rooker and JJ Bleday are unlikely to be dealt at the trade deadline, according to Jon Heyman of the New York Post. Heyman reports that with the recent surge in production in both outfielders and with closer Mason Miller (finger) on the 15-day IL, the Athletics are likely to have a quiet deadline. Rooker has enjoyed an incredible July where he has posted an outstanding .389/.465/.861 line with 10 home runs, 25 RBI, four stolen bases, and an 11:14 BB:K ratio. Bleday tallied eight doubles in a 10-game span earlier in July and sits with 30 on the season. Rooker was especially a popular name in trade discussions and could have been the highest impact bat dealt next week. This recent report suggests that the Athletics see both of these outfielders as part of the future of the team.
Oakland A's outfielder JJ Bleday had an excellent game in his team's 13-3 win over the Los Angeles Angels on Friday. Bleday went 2-for-5 with a double, a homer, and two RBI in the blowout win. The 26-year-old did most of his damage with a two-run homer in the sixth inning, a blast that traveled 400 feet with an exit velocity of 105.2 MPH. Bleday has shown excellent power in 2024 as he is now hitting .232 with 26 doubles, 12 homers, 42 runs, and 34 RBI across 353 at-bats.
Oakland Athletics outfielder JJ Bleday was feeling it at the plate on Sunday in the 18-3 blowout win over the hosting Philadelphia Phillies to close out the first half of the season. Bleday finished a home run short of the cycle and ended up going 3-for-4 with two doubles, a triple, a walk and four runs scored. It was an offensive explosion for the lowly A's, as they had eight total home runs in the outburst. Bleday's big game was nice to see, as he had gone just 1-for-23 at the plate in his previous six games. Fantasy managers in deeper leagues will be hoping his three-hit performance will carry over to the second half of the season, which starts on Friday. The former fourth overall pick of the Miami Marlins in 2019 out of Vanderbilt is playing regularly in his first year in Oakland and is hitting .230/.313/.420 with 11 homers, 32 RBI and 41 runs scored in 348 at-bats so far in 2024.
