A’s Acquire RHP Stripling from Giants; Agree to Terms with LHP Wood on Contract
OAKLAND, Calif. — The Oakland A’s acquired right-handed pitcher Ross Stripling and cash considerations from the San Francisco Giants for minor league outfielder Jonah Cox, the club announced today. The A’s also agreed to terms with free agent left-handed pitcher Alex Wood on a one-year contract for the 2024 season. To clear space on the 40-man roster, Oakland outrighted left-handed pitcher Francisco Perez to Triple-A Las Vegas and designated infielder Jonah Bride for assignment.
Stripling was 0-5 with a 5.35 ERA and .818 opponents OPS in 22 games, including 11 starts, in his first season with San Francisco last year. He struck out 70 and walked just 16 in 89.0 innings, an average of 1.62 walks per nine innings. The 34-year-old right-hander is 38-43 with a 3.96 ERA in 226 games, including 115 starts, in eight seasons in the majors with Los Angeles-NL (2016-20), Toronto (2020-22) and San Francisco (2023). Stripling was an All-Star in 2018, has four years of postseason experience and is averaging 2.07 walks per nine innings in his career.
Wood went 5-5 with a 4.33 ERA and .768 opponents OPS in 29 games, including 12 starts, with San Francisco last year. He struck out 74 and walked 42 in 97.2 innings in his third season with the Giants. The 33-year-old left-hander went 23-21 with a 4.41 ERA in 81 games, including 64 starts, in three seasons with San Francisco. Wood made his Major League debut with Atlanta in 2013 and has pitched 11 seasons in the majors, all in the National League. He played for the Braves from 2013-15, the Dodgers from 2015-18 and 2020, the Reds in 2019 and the Giants from 2021-23. Wood is 76-65 with a 3.74 ERA in 269 career appearances, including 202 starts, and has reached postseason play seven times in his 11 seasons. He was a member of the 2020 World Champion Dodgers and a National League All-Star in 2017.
Cox was the A’s sixth round selection in the 2023 First-Year Player Draft and hit 287 with two home runs and 15 RBI in 35 games in his professional debut with Single-A Stockton and the A’s affiliate in the Arizona Complex League. The 22-year-old right-handed hitter was drafted by the A’s out of Oral Roberts University where he led NCAA Division I hitters with 114 hits, including a 47-game hitting streak, while earning Perfect Game First Team All-America honors last year.
Perez signed a minor league deal with the A’s last year on April 17 and combined for a 5-1 record, one save, a 4.43 ERA and .699 opponents OPS in 30 relief appearances with Double-A Midland and Triple-A Las Vegas before he was selected by Oakland on Aug. 12. The 26-year-old left-hander went 1-2 with a 5.94 ERA and .742 OPS in 17 games, including one start as an opener, with the A’s. Perez is 1-2 with a 5.91 ERA in 31 games, including one start, in the majors with Cleveland (2021), Washington (2022) and Oakland (2023).
Bride split the 2023 season between Oakland and Triple-A Las Vegas. He batted .170 with three doubles, seven RBI and a .491 OPS in 40 games over three stints with the A’s and .305 with a minor league career-high 13 home runs along with 54 RBI and a .976 OPS in 73 games with the Aviators. The 28-year-old right-handed hitter added 11 walks and was hit by a pitch four times with Oakland for a .286 on-base percentage. Bride hit .316 with runners in scoring position.