The A's had a decision to make this offseason. They could have either picked up Fernando Rodney's $5.25 million option or bought him out for $250K.
In this case, Oakland went the more expensive route. And that has clearly backfired.
Rodney was designated for assignment Saturday, the team announced. Reliever Wei-Chung Wang was recalled from Triple-A Las Vegas in a corresponding move.
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Rodney, 42, was 0-2 with a 9.42 ERA in 17 appearances out of the bullpen this season. He had 14 strikeouts and 12 walks in 14 1/3 innings pitched.
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Wang, 27, has come out of the bullpen 16 times for the Aviators this season. The lefty is 1-1 with a 3.75 ERA.
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The A's signed Wang to a minor league contract in January. He has a 11.09 ERA over 22 games in his big league career.