This A's power arm has raised his profile in '24

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When the time came for the A¡¯s to decide whether to protect Royber Salinas from the Rule 5 Draft this winter, there was plenty of reason for them to decide against it.

Despite his tantalizing power arm, Salinas -- acquired from the Braves in December 2022 as part of the Sean Murphy deal -- disappointed the A¡¯s with his conditioning entering his first season with his new organization. Salinas went on to have an injury-riddled '23 campaign. When he was healthy enough to pitch for Double-A Midland, the right-hander posted a 5.48 ERA in 18 games (16 starts) with 89 strikeouts and 31 walks in 67 1/3 innings, leading to an assignment to the Arizona Fall League for extra work.

November rolled around, and the A¡¯s ultimately added Salinas to their 40-man roster, preventing other clubs from potentially poaching him in December¡¯s Rule 5 Draft. A month into the season, that decision is looking like a wise choice.

Salinas, ranked Oakland¡¯s No. 15 prospect by MLB Pipeline, has hit the ground running in his second go-round with Midland. Through five starts, he holds a 2.59 ERA with 33 strikeouts and 14 walks in 24 1/3 innings.

¡°It¡¯s been impressive watching Royber this season,¡± said A¡¯s assistant general manager and director of player personnel Billy Owens. ¡°He¡¯s definitely raised his profile and we¡¯re looking forward to see him push forward.¡±

Salinas showed up to Arizona this February for his first big league Spring Training in much better condition. His slimmed-down 6-foot-3 frame caught the attention of the A¡¯s coaching staff and front office, something they requested he work on following the 2023 season.

These days, Salinas is pumping his sinking fastball up to 98 mph. He also brings a power slider that generates plenty of swing-and-miss, and rounds out his pitch mix with a crisp curveball and improving changeup.

Like most power arms, refining command is the last step for the 23-year-old Salinas. That remains a work in progress, though the early consistent high strike totals in his first five starts are encouraging and could lead to a promotion to Triple-A Las Vegas in the near future.

¡°This kid¡¯s got electric stuff,¡± said A¡¯s director of player development Ed Sprague. ¡°He was a little bit out of shape last year. Came in and had a few injuries here and there. ¡­ Electric sinker and slider. It¡¯s pretty fun to watch.¡±

Here¡¯s a roundup of some other notable performances throughout the A¡¯s system:

Triple-A Las Vegas
Tyler Soderstrom leads the Aviators with seven home runs and has posted a .914 OPS through 24 games. The 22-year-old catcher has also logged five games at first base. Formerly Oakland¡¯s No. 1 overall prospect, Soderstrom should find his way back to the big leagues at some point this season if his early success at the plate can continue.

High-A Lansing
After getting a late start to spring due to injury, A¡¯s top pitching prospect Luis Morales made his 2024 debut on Tuesday against South Bend. Working 4 1/3 innings, the right-hander allowed three runs on six hits and two walks with four strikeouts as he reached his pitch limit of 70. The A¡¯s will continue ramping him up by increasing his workload over his next few starts for the Lugnuts.

Single-A Stockton
It was a big day for A¡¯s No. 6 prospect Steven Echavarria on Thursday. After sticking around Arizona for a few weeks post-Spring Training to work closely with A¡¯s Minor League pitching coordinator Gil Patterson, the 18-year-old right-hander made his pro debut. Facing Visalia, Echavarria allowed two unearned runs on five hits and three walks with three strikeouts across 3 2/3 innings for the Ports.

Echavarria carries a ton of buzz within the A¡¯s front office, which was thrilled to land him as a third-round pick in the 2023 MLB Draft and was able to lure him away from a commitment to the University of Florida by signing him well above slot value.