The Athletics took a chance on Jesús Aguilar as a reclamation project but like most things this season for Oakland-based ballclub, it didn’t work out. On Monday, the A’s elected to designate the slumping Aguilar for an assignment, according to Daniel Álvarez-Montes of El ExtraBase.
The Oakland #Athletics are designating 1B/DH Jesús Aguilar for assignment, sources tell @ElExtrabase.
— Daniel Álvarez-Montes (@DanielAlvarezEE) May 29, 2023
Aguilar appeared in just 36 games for the 10-45 A’s.
In 115 plate appearances, he hit .221/.281/.385 with just five home runs. Per MLB Trade Rumors, Aguilar has a career-low 29.3 percent hard contact rate, and his strikeout percentage (27%) is up from last season.
Aguilar was just 1-for-20 in his past seven games, which likely led to him being DFA’d. He signed a one-year $3 million deal with the A’s over the offseason but lasted just a third of a season in Oakland. It’s unlikely that a team will pick up his remaining $2 million left on his deal, so the A’s are likely on the hook for that. And while you may not think that’s not a sizable amount of money to eat, Aguilar was one of the highest-paid players on the team.
The 32-year-old Aguilar could be a valuable piece to a contender that needs a right-handed hitting designated hitter. However, he’s far removed from being at the top of his game, as he was last an All-Star with the Milwaukee Brewers in 2018. For his career, Aguilar is hitting .235 with 114 home runs and 402 RBIs.
He’s played with six teams over 10 seasons. And after being dumped by the A’s, it remains to be seen if there will be a team No. 7.
[MLB Trade Rumors; photo from Kyle Terada/USA TODAY Sports]
About Sam Neumann
Since the beginning of 2023, Sam has been a staff writer for Awful Announcing and The Comeback. A 2021 graduate of Temple University, Sam is a Charlotte native, who currently calls Greenville, South Carolina his home. He also has a love/hate relationship with the New York Mets and Jets.