With all the focus on the A's starting rotation, it can be easy to forget that there's also a battle for Oakland's final bullpen opening.
Blake Treinen, Fernando Rodney, Joakim Soria, Lou Trivino, Ryan Buchter, Yusmeiro Petit, and Liam Hendriks should have the first seven spots locked down. That likely leaves J.B. Wendelken, Ryan Dull, and Jerry Blevins competing for the eighth and final slot.
Blevins appears to be the favorite, despite struggling this spring. Oakland signed the 35-year-old to a minor-league contract in February, hoping to add a second left-hander to the bullpen.
With our All Access Daily newsletter, stay in the game with the latest updates on your beloved Bay Area and California sports teams!
SIGN UP HERE However, in three appearances this spring, Blevins has an ERA of 23.14. That's not a typo. The decimal is in the right place - 23.14.
The veteran has allowed six earned runs, four hits, and three walks in just 2 1/3 innings. This comes on the heels of a disappointing 2018 season with the Mets, where Blevins finished with a 4.85 ERA, his highest since 2014.
Still, Blevins has the benefit of being left-handed on a team brimming with right-handed relievers. He also spent seven solid seasons with the A's from 2007-13, going 13-6 with a 3.30 ERA.
Wendelken, 25, is coming off a splendid 2018 campaign, in which he allowed just one run in 16 2/3 innings at the big-league level. He too has struggled this spring, however, allowing seven earned runs, nine hits, and four walks in 6 1/3 innings. The right-hander still has a minor league option remaining and the A's will most likely use it.
Athletics
Find the latest Athletics news, highlights, analysis and more with NBC Sports Bay Area and California.
Dull has worked his way into the discussion with a tremendous spring. The 29-year-old right-hander has tossed 3 1/3 scoreless innings, allowing two hits and one walk, with five strikeouts, and his velocity has been up, as Bob Melvin noted.
[RELATED: A's Liam Hendriks has backup plan if baseball doesn't work out]
Dull signed a one-year deal worth $860,000 this offseason, avoiding arbitration. In four career seasons, he is 8-9 with a 3.63 ERA. Like Wendelken, Dull has options remaining, which could work against him, but he has at least garnered serious consideration for a 25-man roster spot.