Muller is sharp on mound in A's loss to Dodgers
One of the A's biggest questions entering camp is where Kyle Muller fits into their pitching plans.
Muller, a key piece to the prospect package the A's received from Atlanta in the Sean Murphy trade before last season, is out of options, so he'll have to break camp with the team or possibly be lost to a waiver claim. Sunday, Muller made his Cactus League debut and allowed one run with three strikeouts in two innings in Oakland's 4-2 loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers in Glendale, Arizona.
The 26-year-old lefty was the A's Opening Day starter last season and had a good start, then struggled and was demoted to the minors. When he returned, the former Braves secondround draft pick mostly pitched out of the bullpen with mixed results.
Muller allowed just two hits against the Dodgers, but one was a solo home run to Redwood City's James Outman. The homer is notable because Muller struggled to keep the ball in the ballpark last season — he allowed 16 in 77 innings — and Outman bats left-handed. If Muller doesn't claim a spot in the rotation he'd need to show he can consistently get lefthanders out as a reliever.
Other than Outman's homer, Muller had no trouble with the Dodgers' other lefties: he struck out Freddie Freeman and Jayson Hayward swinging, and got Max Muncy looking.
Offensively, the A's had just five hits. Hoy Park, a candidate to fill the Tony Kemp utility role, doubled home Jacob Wilson, the A's first-round pick last June, for Oakland's first run in the seventh.
— Laurence Miedema
BELLINGER RETURNING TO CUBS >>
Cody Bellinger is going back to the Chicago Cubs, agreeing to an $80 million, three-year contract, a person familiar with the deal told The Associated Press.
The slugger can opt out of the deal after each of the first two seasons. Bellinger is set to make $30 million this year, and then $30 million in 2025 if he stays with Chicago and $20 million in 2026 if he doesn't opt out of the contract.
Bellinger was among five significant free agents represented by Scott Boras who went into spring training without agreements. Pitchers Blake Snell and Jordan Montgomery, third baseman Matt Chapman and designated hitter J.D. Martinez remain on the market.
It was a much different experience than last offseason, when Bellinger finalized a $17.5 million, one-year deal with the Cubs in December 2022. He then declined his end of a $25 million mutual option for 2024 and rejected a $20,325,000 qualifying offer from Chicago after a resurgent performance.
Healthy again after years of injuries, Bellinger regained the form that made him one of baseball's biggest stars at the beginning of his career with the Dodgers. He hit a career-best .307 with 26 homers, 97 RBIs and 20 steals in 130 games in 2023.
Bellinger, 28, also gave Chicago a lift with his defensive versatility. He won a Gold Glove in 2019 for his work in center, and he also plays a solid first base.
Bellinger broke into the majors in 2017, hitting 39 homers for the Dodgers and winning the NL Rookie of the Year award. He was the NL MVP in 2019 when he batted .305 with a career-best 47 homers and 115 RBIs.
The Dodgers won the 2020 World Series, and Bellinger played a key role in their October success. He hit four homers and drove in 13 runs in 18 postseason games.
Bellinger had surgery on his right shoulder in November 2020. He hit a career-low .165 in 95 games in 2021.
Bellinger was let go by the Dodgers in November 2022 after he hit .210 with 19 homers, 150 strikeouts and a .654 OPS in 144 games in his final season with the team.
METS' SENGA SIDELINED >>
New York Mets righthander Kodai Senga won't throw for about three weeks as the team sees how his ailing shoulder responds to a platelet-rich plasma injection.
Mets manager Carlos Mendoza told reporters Sunday that Senga went to New York for the injection a few days ago and is now back in camp in Florida.
“That's what was recommended by the doctor when they took a look at him, and Senga was on board,” Mendoza said. “So we decided to go that route.”
Senga had a stellar rookie season for the Mets in 2023, finishing 12-7 with a 2.98 ERA. The 31-yearold All-Star finished second in NL Rookie of the Year voting.