Closer Trevor Rosenthal, Oakland Athletics reach 1-year, $11M deal, sources say

Closer Trevor Rosenthal and the Oakland Athletics are in agreement on a one-year, $11 million contract, sources familiar with the deal confirmed to ESPN on Thursday.

Rosenthal, 30, had been seeking a four-year contract, but the free-agent market for relief pitchers had cratered. He did have multiyear options, sources told ESPN's Jeff Passan, but he chose the higher annual salary and save opportunities that Oakland offered.

The right-hander was 1-0 with 11 saves and a 1.90 ERA in 23 relief appearances last season for Kansas City and San Diego, which acquired him on Aug. 29. He joined the Padres in the middle of a rebound season after struggling with injuries and poor performance in recent years.

While not making anything official, Rosenthal did take to Twitter on Thursday, posting "What's up Oakland?"

Rosenthal is another new addition to a rebuilt A's bullpen that general manager David Forst made a priority after Oakland closer Liam Hendriks left as a free agent to sign a $54 million, four-year contract with the Chicago White Sox.

The A's have also signed Sergio Romo andYusmeiro Petitto the bullpen this offseason.

Rosenthal fared especially well against left-handed batters in 2020, striking out a combined 22 of the 42 hitters he faced and allowing just five hits and a .167 slugging percentage. He made the postseason with the Padres, but struggled to a 13.50 ERA with one save and six runs allowed in four innings.

He has 132 saves and a 3.36 ERA over eight big league seasons.

His major league career started with the Cardinals from 2012 to '17, and he was part of the 2013 Cardinals team that lost to the Boston Red Sox in the World Series. He made the NL All-Star team in 2015, when he saved 48 games for St. Louis. He had 45 saves in 2014.

Rosenthal missed all of the 2018 season because of elbow surgery and signed with the Washington Nationals that November. He was dismal with the Nationals and Detroit Tigers in 2019, going 0-1 with a 13.50 ERA in 22 appearances with severe bouts of wildness, before he signed a $2.25 million deal with the Royals before last season.

MLB Network first reported Rosenthal's agreement with the A's.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.