Justin Grimm to the Oakland A’s

With the lockout going on, there have been almost no transactions occurring, given that major league deals or transactions involving players on major league contracts can’t currently happen.

Minor league deals are still allowed and happening, though, and thus we have the report that former Texas Ranger pitcher Justin Grimm has signed a minor league deal for the Oakland A’s.

Grimm, 33, is a righthanded pitcher who was a 5th round draft pick of the Rangers in 2010 out of the University of Georgia. Grimm made it to the big leagues with the Rangers in 2012, and spent the bulk of 2013 in the Rangers’ rotation before being sent to the Chicago Cubs at the trade deadline in the Matt Garza deal.

Grimm was a solid reliever for the Cubs from 2014-16, had a rough 2017 season, and since then has logged just 22 ineffective major league innings with the Brewers, Royals and Mariners. He put up a 4.37 ERA in 45 games for AAA Tacoma in the Seattle Mariners’ system in 2021.

I’m guessing Grimm will be in spring training with the A’s as one of the myriad of arms that could be possible bullpen depth. Not a blockbuster move, but he’s a former Ranger, and the A’s are in the division, so hey, why not mention it, given nothing else is going on?