A's free-agency outlook and other offseason decisions

This story was excerpted from Martín Gallegos' Athletics Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

Coming off a rough 2022 campaign, the A's entered the offseason looking to take a big step forward in their rebuild. Activity has been rather tame to this point with the ongoing MLB postseason, but with the World Series nearing its finish, that means the General Managers Meetings and Winter Meetings are around the corner, which usually marks the point in the offseason when things start to pick up.

Here’s a look at some frequently asked questions about the A’s as they head into the winter:

Which A's are free agents?

Utilityman Chad Pinder is the only impending free agent who finished the season on the A’s 40-man roster. Veteran catcher Stephen Vogt, who would have also been a free agent, announced his retirement at the end of the season.

Will Pinder receive a qualifying offer and what is the deadline for that?

The A’s are not expected to extend any qualifying offers.

Which players have contract options, and what is the impact on the team payroll?

None of their players have team or player options for next season.

Who is a non-tender candidate? When is that deadline?

The crop of players eligible for arbitration this offseason includes Ramón Laureano, Sean Murphy, Tony Kemp, Paul Blackburn, Austin Pruitt and Deolis Guerra.

Kemp’s expected raise in pay from his $2.25 million salary in 2022 could make him a candidate to be non-tendered, though his strong finish to the season may have helped his cause to stick around, as the utilityman slashed .278/.342/.426 over his final 62 games. This year’s non-tender deadline is Nov. 18.

Who needs to be added to the A's 40-man roster to avoid the Rule 5 Draft, and do they have a roster crunch?

First baseman/outfielder Lawrence Butler, ranked as Oakland’s No. 14 prospect by MLB Pipeline, must be added to the 40-man roster in order to avoid being exposed to other clubs in the Rule 5 Draft, which is scheduled for Dec. 7 at the MLB Winter Meetings. Another candidate could be infielder Max Schuemann, who had a strong year at Double-A Midland. Players must be added to the 40-man roster by Nov. 15 in order to be protected.

What kind of help do the A's need? Will they be active in free agency?

Considering they just came off a 100-loss season, the A’s have plenty of needs to address. An offense that ranked last in most categories last season will need to improve. There will also be a veteran leadership void left behind with the departure of Vogt and likely absence of Pinder. Expect the A’s to look to buy low on players who are non-tendered in the next month and are looking to rebuild their value.

The starting rotation appears to be in a solid position. Cole Irvin, Blackburn and James Kaprielian should be locks, while rookies Ken Waldichuk, JP Sears and Adrián Martínez flashed promise in their time with Oakland in 2022. But perhaps the A’s could search the free-agent market for some extra starting depth with a more experienced arm.

As usual, the A’s are unlikely to be in on the big free-agent names. Most of their activity should come closer to the start of Spring Training.

Who might they be willing to trade?

Sean Murphy, who was a 2022 finalist for both the Gold Glove and Silver Slugger Awards, has seen his name pop up in trade rumors as the next A’s player who could be moved. The A’s don’t necessarily have to move Murphy, who is entering his first year of arbitration and won’t be a free agent until 2026. However, with touted catching prospect Shea Langeliers now a big leaguer and with strong catching depth in the Minors, Murphy could be viewed as a big piece who could be moved to address multiple needs.