A's acquire Springs from Rays in 5-player trade

The Athletics acquired left-handers Jeffrey Springs and Jacob Lopez from the Tampa Bay Rays, the clubs announced Saturday.

The Rays will receive right-handers Joe Boyle and Jacob Watters, outfielder Will Simpson, and a compensation draft pick from the Athletics.

"Right now, we're looking at more starters than we have rotation spots and kind of navigating the different ways to resolve that while also knowing you can never have enough," Rays president of baseball operations Erik Neander said, according to MLB.com's Adam Berry.

"And this is a situation where the A's really stepped forward and really wanted Jeffrey."

Springs is the second significant pitching addition of the season for the Athletics after the club signed right-hander Luis Severino to a franchise-record three-year, $67-million contract Dec. 6.

Springs is under contract through 2026 with a $10.5-million club option for 2027. The 32-year-old posted a 2-2 record with a 3.27 ERA and 37 strikeouts in seven starts for the Rays in 2024 after returning from Tommy John surgery. Springs is expected to join Severino, JP Sears, Joey Estes, and Mitch Spence in the Athletics' rotation this season.

Lopez made four appearances for the Rays in 2024, striking out eight in 10 1/3 innings with a 5.23 ERA.

Boyle registered a 6.42 ERA and 10.6 K/9 in 13 appearances for the Athletics last season. The 25-year-old features a slider that held opposing batters to a .164 average with a 37.9% whiff rate in 2024.

Watters was a fourth-round pick by the Athletics in the 2022 draft. The 23-year-old went 7-3 with a 5.23 ERA and 56 strikeouts across two minor-league levels in 2024.

Simpson, 23, hit 18 home runs with 90 RBIs and an .860 OPS across two minor-league levels last season.