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Breakdown of Aviators’ opening day roster

Updated March 30, 2023 - 4:52 pm

Catchers

Kyle McCann — He spent most of 2022 at Midland, hitting .238 with 20 home runs and 65 RBIs. He appeared in seven games with Las Vegas last season.

Tyler Soderstrom — The top prospect in the A’s organization, according to MLB.com, he spent most of the season at Lansing, where he hit .260 with 20 home runs and 71 RBIs. Soderstrom, the A’s 2020 first-round selection, appeared in 36 games with Midland and nine with Las Vegas.

Infielders

Jonah Bride — Bride, on the 40-man roster, appeared in 58 games for the A’s after stints with Midland and Las Vegas. He hit .393 in 19 games with the Aviators. He showed his versatility playing first base, second base, third base and catching last season.

Jordan Diaz — Diaz, on the 40-man roster, batted .348 in 26 games with Las Vegas after spending most of the season with Midland. He appeared in 15 games with Oakland and batted .265.

Dermis Garcia — In 68 games with Las Vegas last season, Garcia hit .264 with 13 home runs and 44 RBIs. He made his MLB debut with the A’s and had 20 RBIs in 39 games.

Pablo Reyes — Reyes signed as a free agent after spending 2022 with the Milwaukee Brewers’ organization. The shortstop hit .273 in 99 games with Triple-A Nashville and appeared in 15 games with the Brewers.

Kevin Smith — After coming to Las Vegas early in the season on a rehab assignment, Smith appeared in 47 games for the A’s. He was optioned to Las Vegas in June and played in 86 games with Las Vegas, hitting .268 with 13 home runs and 49 RBIs.

Tyler Wade — He started last season with the Los Angeles Angels and appeared in 67 games before being sent to Triple-A Salt Lake City and eventually traded to the Yankees, who drafted him in 2013. He played in 42 games with Triple-A Scranton Wilkes Barre and hit .227.

Outfielders

JJ Bleday — The No. 4 overall pick in the 2019 draft was acquired from Miami last month. He made his MLB debut last season with Miami and had five home runs and 16 RBIs in 204 at-bats.

Trenton Brooks — He batted .273 in 85 games with the Cleveland Guardians’ Triple-A affiliate Columbus last season and signed a minor league contract with the A’s after the season.

Cal Stevenson — Stevenson started last season in the Tampa Bay organization and was part of a July trade between the Rays and A’s. He hit .322 in 24 games with Las Vegas and appeared in 23 games with the A’s.

Cody Thomas — He missed most of last season after recovering from Achilles surgery. After coming back in August, he played 10 games with the Aviators and 10 with the A’s.

Pitchers

Garrett Acton, RHP — After starting last season at Double-A Midland, he appeared in 32 games for the Aviators, making two starts, and threw 42⅓ innings.

Bryce Conley, RHP — Conley was taken by the A’s in the 2017 draft. He made his first appearance in Triple-A last season, making six relief appearances after making 35 with Midland.

Jack Cushing, RHP — Spending most of the season at Midland, he went 11-3 with a 3.67 ERA in 110⅓ innings in 19 starts. He made six starts with Las Vegas last season.

Rico Garcia, RHP — Garcia was a free agent signing with the A’s after the 2022 season. He spent last season in the Baltimore Orioles’ organization, making six appearances with Baltimore and 18 with Triple-A Norfolk.

Hogan Harris, LHP — A 2018 third-round pick by the A’s, Harris made 22 starts between High-A Lansing, Midland and Las Vegas last season. He made eight starts with the Aviators and had 39 strikeouts in 28⅓ innings.

Luis Medina, RHP — Medina was part of the 2022 midseason trade between the A’s and New York Yankees. He made 24 starts between the Yankees and A’s Double-A affiliates.

Colin Peluse, RHP — In 21 starts with Midland, Peluse went 10-6 with a 5.38 ERA. He threw 118⅔ innings and had 92 strikeouts at Double-A and made one start with Las Vegas.

Austin Pruitt, RHP — The veteran reliever posted a 3.27 ERA with Las Vegas in 12 appearances before being called up to Oakland. In 39 appearances with the A’s, he finished with a 4.23 ERA and threw 55⅓ innings.

Miguel Romero, RHP — Romero, entering his fourth season with the Aviators, threw 53⅓ innings and had 32 strikeouts in 38 appearances.

Norge Ruiz, RHP — In 31 appearances with the Aviators last season, Ruiz went 5-1 with a 3.37 ERA in 41 innings. He made his MLB debut with the A’s last season and appeared in 14 games.

Chad Smith, RHP — Acquired in an offseason trade, Smith joins the A’s organization after bouncing between the Colorado Rockies and Triple-A affiliate Albuquerque. He had a 3.09 ERA in 32 appearances with Albuquerque and made 15 appearances with Colorado.

Drew Steckenrider, RHP — He split time between the Seattle Mariners and Triple-A Tacoma last season before joining the A’s this year as a free agent signing. He appeared in 23 games with Tacoma and 16 for Seattle.

Billy Sullivan, RHP — The newest member of the Aviators, Sullivan came from Philadelphia after the A’s traded outfielder Cristian Pache on Wednesday. He threw 51 innings in 44 appearances for Double-A Reading last season.

Joseph Wieland, RHP — After not playing in 2021, he signed a minor league contract with the Rays and appeared in eight games between Rookie League Florida Complex League Rays and Triple-A Durham.

Garrett Williams, LHP — He split time in the St. Louis organization between Double-A Springfield and Triple-A Memphis. He combined to throw 77 innings and record 101 strikeouts in 28 appearances.

Contact Alex Wright at awright@reviewjournal.com. Follow @AlexWright1028 on Twitter.

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