Report: Athletics trade Boyle, others for Springs in deal with Rays originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

The Athletics are staying busy this offseason.

The team is finalizing a trade to acquire left-handed pitcher Jeffrey Springs from the Tampa Bay Rays, ESPN’s Jeff Passan reported Saturday morning, citing sources.

Tampa Bay will receive right-handers Joe Boyle and Jacob Watters, outfielder Will Simpson, and a compensation draft pick from the A’s for Springs and one other player who has yet to be named, Passan added.

Springs joined the Rays after being acquired from the Boston Red Sox in 2021. It didn’t take long for Springs to establish himself as a solid reliever with high strikeout numbers. Tampa Bay eventually moved him into their starting rotation, where he enjoyed a career year in 2022 as he accrued 3.1 fWAR and was rewarded with a four-year, $31 million contract extension.

Springs often has looked like a potential Cy Young Award candidate — when healthy. Coming off a breakout campaign in 2022 (2.46 ERA, 1.07 WHIP, 144 strikeouts in 135 innings), Springs made just three starts before suffering a season-ending elbow injury in 2023.

He threw just 16 innings before an injury resulted in Tommy John surgery in 2023, sidelining him for the rest of the season. The Rays shut him down in September of the 2024 season, placing him on the IL due to elbow fatigue.

Springs will make $10.5 million in 2026 and has a team option for $15 million in 2027.