Is this righty A's next Rule 5 Draft gem?

This story was excerpted from Martín Gallegos’ A’s Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

MESA, Ariz. -- Noah Murdock was fully aware of the possibility that he could be switching organizations this offseason.

That realization came shortly after the 2024 season, when, despite enjoying a strong season at Double-A Northwest Arkansas and Triple-A Omaha in the Royals’ system, Murdock was not among the players added to Kansas City’s 40-man roster. That decision left the 26-year-old right-hander exposed to the Rule 5 Draft, which tends to run heavy on pitchers, given the constant need for arms around the league.

Sensing there was a chance he could get picked, Murdock pulled up a live feed of the Rule 5 Draft on the morning of Dec. 11 and watched alongside his wife, Savannah, from their home in Colonial Heights, Va. The anxiety built up with each pick that passed by. Sure enough, Murdock eventually heard his name called when the Athletics made him the fourth player selected.

“We had the MLB stream up and were just kind of waiting to see what happened,” Murdock said. “I remember them calling the Athletics’ pick, and it felt like the longest pause ever, then they got up there and said my name. It was just an unbelievable moment. … I hit the ground. I couldn’t believe it.”

It’s easy to see why the A’s were so intrigued by Murdock. A towering presence on the mound at 6-foot-8 and 205 pounds, Murdock recorded a 3.16 ERA in 46 relief appearances, with 72 strikeouts and 41 walks across 62 2/3 innings.

“I had a good year in Triple-A,” Murdock said. “Obviously, the hope is always to be protected by your own team. I got word that wasn’t going to happen, so my next best hope was the Rule 5 Draft.”

With a history of high ground-ball rates throughout the Minors, it’s not hard to identify Murdock’s strengths. At his best, he keeps the ball on the ground and generates weak contact, something that was on display during his most recent outing against the Brewers on Thursday night. After issuing a leadoff walk in the top of the fourth, Murdock utilized a first-pitch heavy sinker that induced a ground ball for a double play.

While his lankiness can be intimidating for opposing hitters, the many moving parts in Murdock's delivery can also work against him at times. Fine-tuning those mechanics is what he and A’s pitching coaches Scott Emerson and Dan Hubbs have emphasized this spring.

“The best thing for me is to be in the zone,” Murdock said. “My best characteristic is that I have a sinker that I get a lot of ground balls with. … Trusting my stuff in the zone is the key. I have a lot of limbs going around when I throw, so controlling my delivery has been big for me to stay in the zone.”

Manager Mark Kotsay has been impressed by what he has seen from Murdock.

“The sinker is real at 95 [mph], and the sweeper-slider is a great secondary for him,” Kotsay said. “We’ve had some luck, if you want to call it that, or a great baseball operations group, identifying these guys, like Mitch Spence last year. You look at the history of the A’s and the Rule 5, we’re hopeful that Murdock continues to progress and is a part of this group when we break camp.”

The A’s indeed have struck gold a few times in the Rule 5 Draft, with Spence, who stuck with the club throughout the entire 2024 season and finished as a member of the starting rotation, being the most recent example. Other A’s hits through the Rule 5 Draft in previous years include Ryan Noda ('22) and Vimael Machín ('19).

For Murdock, his avenue to stick with the A’s comes in the bullpen, where there is at least one spot up for grabs this spring. There is no guarantee Murdock will be on the A’s come Opening Day, but after grinding through the Minors over his first five seasons as a professional, this is without question his best chance to achieve the big league dream.

“It’s not a free ride to the next level, but it’s an opportunity,” Murdock said. “That’s all I ever really wanted is that opportunity. … It’s exciting. I’ve talked to Mitch Spence about it. Just trying to get his experiences from last year and how things went. It’s definitely exciting to know they tend to like the Rule 5 guys. But at the end of the day, you still have to earn the opportunity.”