A's wish Dull well with Giants

CHICAGO -- It wasn’t too long ago Ryan Dull was one of the top relief pitchers in the American League. But if he’s ever going to regain that form, it will now have to come with a new club.

After being designated for assignment by the A’s on Saturday to make room for catcher Dustin Garneau on the 40-man roster, Dull was claimed off waivers by the Giants on Monday afternoon.

The numbers weren’t great for Dull with Oakland this year -- a 12.00 ERA over seven appearances during three separate stints in the Majors -- but his 2.42 ERA in 2016 not only led all A’s relievers, it was among the top 15 relievers in the AL. In San Francisco, he joins Giants president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi, who worked under A’s general manager David Forst and executive vice president Billy Beane when Dull was drafted in 2012.

“If you look at it, recently the Giants have traded away a couple of right-handers,” A’s manager Bob Melvin said before Monday’s game against the Cubs. “Farhan knows him over there. I’m glad he gets to go to a big league team with a chance to pitch in the Majors. A couple of years ago, he had a great year for us. There are certain guys you feel good about getting a big league job. I feel good for him.”

A’s excited about Wrigley trip

It had been a while since the A’s made a visit to Wrigley Field. None of the current players on the roster made the last trip in 2010, nor did Melvin. At the end of the day, the focus is on winning a ballgame, no different than it is at any other ballpark. But the A's certainly experienced a special feeling upon their arrival to the historic ballpark.

“Our guys were excited about coming here,” Melvin said. “It’s a place where the games are a little more spirited and there’s a lot of history. It’s like playing in a baseball museum. Our guys are really excited about it. They’ve made a lot of improvements downstairs. The conditions are a lot better, and the field looks great.”

“It’s one of those places you check off the bucket list,” A’s reliever Lou Trivino said. “They remodeled the clubhouse. I heard it wasn’t the greatest before. It’s awesome.”