Oakland Athletics relief pitcher Andrew Chafin is set for free agency after turning down his side of a $5.25 million mutual option. He will receive a $500,000 buyout. After a very strong season in which he registered a 1.83 ERA, a 0.93 WHIP and 64 strikeouts with five saves and 22 holds across 68 2/3 innings in 71 games for the Cubs and A's, Chafin figures to command a multi-year deal as one of the top lefty relief options on the market. Fantasy managers should keep an eye on where he lands, as he has displayed the ability to lock down the back end of a bullpen, but he stands to hold most value in leagues that reward holds.

Oakland Athletics relief pitcher Andrew Chafin made quick work of the Houston Astros in the top of the ninth, then earned his second win of the season when the A's walked off in the bottom half of the frame. Chafin worked through the meat of the Houston lineup; he struck out Yordan Alvarez before retiring Carlos Correa and Kyle Tucker on a groundout and flyout, respectively. With a 1.76 ERA and a 0.90 WHIP, Chafin is the most-trusted reliever in the Oakland bullpen and should be rostered in any fantasy league where saves are rewarded.

Oakland Athletics relief pitcher Andrew Chafin tossed a scoreless ninth inning on Saturday to earn his fifth save of the season. Chafin didn't make things easy as he allowed a leadoff single to Shohei Ohtani and wound up loading the bases before inducing a game-ending lineout. Despite the stress in the ninth, Chafin nailed down the save as the A's bullpen seems to have fallen into a full-blown committee in the ninth inning. Sergio Romo earned the save on Friday and Lou Trivino is also in the mix late in games. Chafin has the best numbers of any A's reliever and seems to be the top option for manager Bob Melvin, making him the de facto choice to roster in fantasy for those chasing saves.

Oakland Athletics relief pitcher Andrew Chafin allowed a run on Wednesday, but managed to hang on and secure his fourth save of the season. Chafin was called on in the eighth inning after Jake Diekman imploded and was able to escape with the lead. Chafin would run into his own trouble in the ninth inning, however, as he allowed a run on two hits and two walks before getting Ryan O'Hearn to ground out to end the game. Chafin hasn't been great lately, but neither has anyone else in the A's bullpen. Chafin should be considered the favorite to earn saves and is the Oakland reliever to roster in fantasy in leagues that reward saves.

Oakland Athletics relief pitchers Andrew Chafin and Sergio Romo combined for one of the worst innings of the season for the A's, as they allowed five runs to turn a feel-good afternoon into a miserable loss. Starter Cole Irvin silenced Texas across seven innings and Oakland had to feel good heading into the eighth inning with a four-run cushion. Romo changed that, however, as he retired just two of the six batters he faced and was charged with four earned runs. Chafin couldn't clean up Romo's mess as he also served up a homer to take the loss. Romo and Chafin had been the most trusted arms in the 'pen for manager Bob Melvin, so it's anyone's guess who gets the next A's save. Former closer Lou Trivino is an option, but keep an eye on Jake Diekman who has eight saves on the season and a 2.93 ERA over his last 17 appearances.

Oakland Athletics relief pitcher Andrew Chafin tossed a scoreless ninth inning to earn the save on Thursday versus the White Sox. It was the third save of the season for the left-hander and his first since being traded to Oakland at the end of July. The A's have been in a freefall lately, mostly due to a bullpen that has blown several leads, so there is an opportunity for Chafin to seize the closer job for the remainder of the season. Chafin has a pristine 0.86 ERA in 21 innings so far with the A's and 18 of his 19 appearances have been scoreless, so he seems to be the most trusted arm in the 'pen for the moment. Fantasy managers in need of saves should look to add Chafin for the stretch run.

Oakland Athletics relief pitcher Andrew Chafin worked the ninth inning in Sunday's victory versus the New York Yankees and recorded his second save of the season. Relief pitcher Lou Trivino leads the Athletics with 21 saves and Jake Diekman has chipped in with seven, so Chafin doesn't figure to get many save opportunities moving forward. Despite that, Chafin has been having a great year between the Chicago Cubs and Athletics and makes for a fine addition in leagues that count holds. The lefty has pitched to a 1.80 with 20 holds and two saves between the two clubs.

Oakland Athletics relief pitcher Andrew Chafin pitched a clean 10th inning with one strikeout to earn his first save of the season Tuesday at Cleveland. Chafin was in the game because normal closer Lou Trivino pitched the ninth inning of a tie game. Chafin won't knock Trivino from the closer role, but this outing does provide some clarity as manager Bob Melvin turned to Chafin over fellow lefty Jake Diekman in a high-leverage situation. Chafin should be rostered in fantasy leagues that reward holds and could be a saves source if Trivino is unavailable.

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — The Washington Nationals kept wheeling and dealing, trading catcher Yan Gomes and utilityman Josh Harrison to the Oakland Athletics for three minor leaguers Friday. The A's are counting on the depth Gomes and Harrison will bring as they contend for a fourth straight playoff berth — and they might arrive to Southern California in time to join their new team to face the Angels in Anaheim on Saturday. “I think we feel really good about the roster right now,” general manager David Forst said. “This was an important one for us to add position player depth.” Washington has dismantled its roster in a matter of 24 crazy hours. Ace pitcher Max Scherzer and All-Star shortstop Trea Turner were traded to the reigning World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers for four prospects Friday. Relief pitcher Daniel Hudson was sent to the San Diego Padres late Thursday in a busy day of moves for retooling Washington, which acquired right-hander Mason Thompson and shortstop Jordy Barley... [More]

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — The Washington Nationals kept wheeling and dealing, trading catcher Yan Gomes and utilityman Josh Harrison to the Oakland Athletics for three minor leaguers on Friday. Washington has dismantled its roster in a matter of 24 crazy hours. Ace pitcher Max Scherzer and All-Star shortstop Trea Turner were traded to the reigning World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers for four prospects Friday. Relief pitcher Daniel Hudson was sent to the San Diego Padres late Thursday in a busy day of moves for retooling Washington, which acquired right-hander Mason Thompson and shortstop Jordy Barley in that move. A little earlier, the Nationals traded All-Star slugger Kyle Schwarber to Boston for a minor league pitcher. Before that, they shipped closer Brad Hand to Toronto. The defending AL West champion A's are in second place behind rival Houston. On Monday, Oakland acquired left-hander Andrew Chafin from the Chicago Cubs for two minor leaguers, then traded for outfielder Starling... [More]

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — The Washington Nationals kept wheeling and dealing, agreeing to trade catcher Yan Gomes and infielder-outfielder Josh Harrison to the Oakland Athletics on Friday, a person with direct knowledge of the swap said. The deal is pending a review of medical reports on the players involved, the person said, speaking on condition of anonymity because the trade had not been finalized. Washington, already rocked by a recent COVID-19 outbreak, has dismantled its roster in a matter of 24 crazy hours. Ace pitcher Max Scherzer and All-Star shortstop Trea Turner were traded to the reigning World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers for four prospects Friday. Relief pitcher Daniel Hudson was sent to the San Diego Padres late Thursday in a busy day of moves for retooling Washington, which acquired right-hander Mason Thompson and shortstop Jordy Barley in that move. A little earlier, the Nationals traded All-Star slugger Kyle Schwarber to Boston for a minor league pitcher. Before that, they shipped closer Brad Hand to Toronto. The defending AL West champion A's are in second place behind rival Houston. On Monday, Oakland acquired left-hander Andrew Chafin from the Chicago Cubs for two minor leaguers, then traded for outfielder Starling Marte on Wednesday in a swap with the Marlins. ___ AP Baseball Writer Ronald Blum contributed. ___ More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

MIAMI (AP) — Buried in last place in the NL East, the Miami Marlins made an impact on the AL West race with two trades Wednesday. Miami sent right-handed reliever Yimi García to the Houston Astros, and traded outfielder Starling Marte to the Oakland Athletics. The Astros sent outfielder Bryan De La Cruz and right-hander Austin Pruitt to Miami. First-place Houston began the day with a six-game lead over Oakland in the AL West. Oakland gave up left-hander Jesús Luzardo for Marte. The Marlins will cover nearly all of Marte's remaining contract for 2021, and he can become a free agent after this season. “We felt like Starling was frankly the best position player that was out there on the market," A's general manager David Forst said before his team's game in San Diego. “We’ve always said when the team performs and puts itself in a playoff position, it’s on us to do whatever we can to try and help them.” The A's also acquired left-handed reliever Andrew Chafin this week from the Chicago Cubs.... [More]

MIAMI (AP) — Buried in last place in the NL East, the Miami Marlins made an impact on the AL West race with two trades Wednesday. Miami sent right-handed reliever Yimi García to the Houston Astros, and traded outfielder Starling Marte to the Oakland Athletics. The Astros sent outfielder Bryan De La Cruz and right-hander Austin Pruitt to Miami. First-place Houston began the day with a six-game lead over Oakland in the AL West. Oakland gave up left-hander Jesús Luzardo for Marte. The Marlins will cover nearly all of Marte's remaining contract for 2021, and he becomes a free agent after this season. “We felt like Starling was frankly the best position player that was out there on the market," A's general manager David Forst said before his team's game in San Diego. “We’ve always said when the team performs and puts itself in a playoff position, it’s on us to do whatever we can to try and help them.” The A's also acquired left-handed reliever Andrew Chafin this week from the Chicago Cubs. “We’ve... [More]

MIAMI (AP) — The Oakland Athletics are in playoff contention, and Starling Marte is their midseason reward. Oakland obtained the versatile but well-traveled outfielder Wednesday from the Miami Marlins for left-hander Jesús Luzardo. “We felt like Starling was frankly the best position player that was out there on the market," A's general manager David Forst said before the team's game in San Diego. “We’ve always said when the team performs and puts itself in a playoff position, it’s on us to do whatever we can to try and help them.” The A's, who began the day six games behind AL West leader Houston, also acquired left-handed reliever Andrew Chafin this week from the Chicago Cubs. “We’ve added two really solid pieces to help this team over the next send two months,” Forst said. Marte, 32, is batting .306 with an .859 OPS and 22 stolen bases in 25 attempts. The Marlins will cover nearly all of his remaining contract for 2021, and he becomes a free agent after this season. It’s the third time... [More]

A look at what’s happening around the majors today: ___ BIG NAMES TEST POSITIVE COVID-19 continues to impact major league rosters more than 16 months after spring training was shut down in 2020 because of the coronavirus. The Washington Nationals will likely be without star shortstop Trea Turner for the next several days, while the Milwaukee Brewers will be missing 2018 NL MVP Christian Yelich for more than a week. Turner and Yelich recently tested positive. Yelich and teammate Jace Peterson were placed on the COVID-19 injured list Tuesday. Turner was pulled in the first inning of Tuesday night's game at Philadelphia. Turner began the day batting .320 with 18 home runs and 49 RBIs. He singled and scored in the first inning, then headed directly up the tunnel toward the Nationals' clubhouse and was replaced in the bottom of the first. The Phillies announced later in the game that Turner had tested positive, ending speculation that he was lifted for a possible pending trade or due to injury.... [More]

A look at what’s happening around the majors on Wednesday: ___ BIG NAMES TEST POSITIVE COVID-19 continues to impact major league rosters more than 16 months after spring training was shut down in 2020 because of the coronavirus. The Washington Nationals will likely be without star shortstop Trea Turner for the next several days, while the Milwaukee Brewers will be missing 2018 NL MVP Christian Yelich for more than a week. Turner and Yelich recently tested positive. Yelich and teammate Jace Peterson were placed on the COVID-19 injured list Tuesday. Turner was pulled in the first inning of Tuesday night's game at Philadelphia. Turner began the day batting .320 with 18 home runs and 49 RBIs. He singled and scored in the first inning, then headed directly up the tunnel toward the Nationals' clubhouse and was replaced in the bottom of the first. The Phillies announced later in the game that Turner had tested positive, ending speculation that he was lifted for a possible pending trade or due... [More]

CHICAGO (AP) — The Oakland Athletics fortified their bullpen Monday night by acquiring left-hander Andrew Chafin from the Chicago Cubs for two minor leaguers. Chafin was 0-2 with a 2.06 ERA in 43 relief appearances covering 39 1/3 innings for the Cubs this season. The deal was announced following their 6-5 win over Cincinnati and could signal more moves to come from Chicago. The Cubs received outfielder Greg Deichmann and right-hander Daniel Palencia. Also, Chicago is to send Oakland $500,000 to cover the cost of Chafin's contract buyout, conditioned to the pitcher's 2022 option not being declined. Oakland is in second place in the AL West and holds the league's second wild-card spot by one game over Seattle. The A's are five games behind first-place Houston. The disappointing Cubs are fourth in the NL Central at 50-51 and could be very busy before Friday's trade deadline, with star players such as Anthony Rizzo, Kris Bryant, Javier Báez and Craig Kimbrel all attractive pieces potentially... [More]

CHICAGO (AP) — The Oakland Athletics fortified their bullpen Monday night by acquiring left-hander Andrew Chafin from the Chicago Cubs for two minor leaguers. Chafin was 0-2 with a 2.06 ERA in 43 relief appearances covering 39 1/3 innings for the Cubs this season. The deal was announced following their 6-5 win over Cincinnati and could signal more moves to come from Chicago. The Cubs received outfielder Greg Deichmann and right-hander Daniel Palencia. Oakland is in second place in the AL West and holds the league's second wild-card spot by one game over Seattle. The A's are five games behind first-place Houston. The disappointing Cubs are fourth in the NL Central at 50-51 and could be very busy before Friday's trade deadline, with star players such as Anthony Rizzo, Kris Bryant, Javier Báez and Craig Kimbrel all attractive pieces potentially available to other teams. The 31-year-old Chafin has given up one home run this year. He has 37 strikeouts, 12 walks and a sparkling 0.84 WHIP. Deichmann,... [More]

CHICAGO (AP) — The Oakland Athletics fortified their bullpen Monday night by acquiring left-hander Andrew Chafin from the Chicago Cubs for two minor leaguers. Chafin was 0-2 with a 2.06 ERA in 43 relief appearances covering 39 1/3 innings for the Cubs this season. The deal was announced following their 6-5 win over Cincinnati and could signal more moves to come from Chicago. The Cubs received outfielder Greg Deichmann and right-hander Daniel Palencia. Oakland is in second place in the AL West and holds the league's second wild-card spot. The A's began the day 5 1/2 games behind first-place Houston. The disappointing Cubs are fourth in the NL Central at 50-51 and could be very busy before Friday's trade deadline, with star players such as Anthony Rizzo, Kris Bryant, Javier Báez and Craig Kimbrel all attractive pieces potentially available to other teams. The 31-year-old Chafin has given up one home run this year. He has 37 strikeouts, 12 walks and a sparkling 0.84 WHIP. Deichmann, 26, was... [More]

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Patrick Sandoval had his no-hit bid broken up with one out in the ninth inning on a soft double by rookie Brent Rooker and the Los Angeles Angels beat the Minnesota Twins 2-1 on Saturday night. Sandoval, a 24-year-old lefty who began the game with a 3-13 career record, struck out a career-high 13. There have already been seven no-hitters in the majors this season. The big league record of eight was set in 1884, the first year overhand pitching was permitted. The Twins hadn’t come close to a hit until Rooker, who fanned his first three times up, flared an opposite-field fly that fell just inside the line in right. Sandoval (3-4) smiled after the ball fell, retired the next batter and then was pulled after 108 pitches. He walked one and hit two. Closer Raisel Iglesias allowed an RBI double to Josh Donaldson before getting his 21st save in 25 chances. José Berríos (7-5) allowed two unearned runs in seven innings in perhaps his final start for Minnesota. ASTROS 4, RANGERS... [More]