Sheldon

Neuse

The deal, which was first reported last month, is now official. Neuse became a minor league free agent at the conclusion of last season shortly after being removed from the Athletics’ 40-man roster. The 28-year-old infielder appears poised for success overseas after hitting just .212/.262/.296 triple-slash line with seven homers and seven steals in 420 plate appearances in the majors since 2019.

Neuse was sent outright to Triple-A Las Vegas back in September and then elected free agency at season’s end. Neuse played a regular role on a depleted Athletics’ squad in 2022 -- hitting .214/.273/.288 with four homers, 26 RBI and six stolen bases in 293 plate appearances.

Neuse went unclaimed on waivers after being designated for assignment over the weekend and will remain with the Athletics as extra organizational infield depth. The 27-year-old has hit just .212/.262/.296 triple-slash line with seven homers and seven steals in 420 plate appearances in the majors since 2019.

Neuse has been jettisoned from the Athletics’ 40-man roster to make room for utility infielder Ernie Clement, who was claimed off waivers from the Guardians on Friday. The 27-year-old offers some defensive versatility, but has struggled to a .212/.262/.296 triple-slash line with seven homers and seven steals in 420 plate appearances in the majors since 2019. There could wind up being some interest on waivers.

With just a .229/.286/.313 line in 259 plate appearances to date, Neuse is going to need a nice showing here over the next six weeks in order to keep his spot on Oakland’s roster over the winter. There should be plenty of playing time available for him to show what he can do.

Neuse got off to a very encouraging start in April, but he returns Wednesday to an overall .227/.286/.300 season slash line at the major league level. The 27-year-old seems doubtful to hold fantasy relevance.

Neuse is sent down to make room for Seth Brown. After a strong beginning to his 2022 campaign, he’s been irrelevant in the summer months.

Neuse is 3-for-22 with a homer this month. The A’s might give Kevin Smith another chance at some point, but unless they bring in someone in one of their upcoming trades, there are no other infielders they’re in a hurry to promote. That should give Neuse a while longer to get something going here and prove that he should be in the team’s plans for 2023. It’s definitely not looking great for him right now.

Neuse got off to a pretty encouraging start this season with Oakland but was optioned to Triple-A Las Vegas after a brutal stretch in May. The 27-year-old can probably be ignored in most standard fantasy formats.

Neuse was one of the A’s best hitters in April, but he’s cratered since then with just a .429 OPS since May 1. It’s not yet clear what the team’s corresponding move will be.