Athletics trade former Bay Area prep star to SF Giants for cash considerations
OAKLAND — It appears Cal Stevenson’s next shot at the big leagues will be with a Bay Area team, but it won’t be the Athletics.
Stevenson, the former Kennedy-Fremont star who was designated for assignment this week by the A’s, was sent to the Giants Wednesday in exchange for cash considerations.
Playing with the Triple-A Las Vegas Aviators, Stevenson was hitting .348 (7-for-23) at the time of his DFA with two doubles. Had Stevenson not been sent to the Giants, he would have been free to sign with the A’s or any other team after clearing waivers.
Last season, Stevenson got a brief shot with the A’s, hitting .167 in 23 games with three doubles and one RBI. After playing at Kennedy, Stevenson played at Chabot College and Nevada-Reno before being a 10th-round draft pick in 2018 by Toronto.
The A’s acquired Stevenson last season from the Rays in exchange for catcher Christian Bethancourt.
Trevor May to IL with ‘anxiety issues’
Right-handed reliever Trevor May, a free agent signee who was seen as a potential closer, has been placed on the 15-day injured list due to “issues related to anxiety.”
May (2-3) took the loss in Tuesday night’s 4-0 loss to the Cubs, retiring one of the four batters he faced and walking the first batter on four pitches. He has struggled with his control in the early going with the A’s.
“It’s the right thing to do for someone who is struggling in terms of anxiety, what he’s dealing with,” A’s manager Mark Kotsay said. “We completely support him. It’s real. I don’t want to go deeply into it. It’s a personal issue, but for Trevor, this is the right thing.”
May will be away from the team during his IL stint, dealing A’s support staff who deal with mental health issues.
In six innings, May has given up 10 hits and eight earned runs with nine walks.
May signed a contract with the A’s in the offseason for $7.75 million, which makes him the highest paid player on the roster.
NOTABLE
— Right fielder Ramon Laureano was placed on the 10-day injured list with a Grade 1 (mild) hamstring strain which has bothered him since playing three games on artificial surface against Tampa. The hope is Laureano recovers quickly and could be ready after those 10 days.
— Relief pitcher Dany Jimenez has a shoulder strain and was placed on the 60-day disabled list. Jimenez dealt with a similar injury last season.
“We’re going to have to shut Dany down from throwing and this could possibly take six weeks,” Kotsay said.
— Mason Miller and Jordan Diaz were officially added to the roster from Triple-A Las Vegas and in the lineup, Miller as the starting pitcher and Diaz batting eighth and playing second base.
— Kotsay said the A’s are still sorting out how the pitching rotation will shape up following an off-day Thursday. The only sure thing is Shintaro Fujinami will continue his early-season routine of starting on Saturday.