When the A’s decided to designate right-hander Mitch Spence for assignment earlier this week, we speculated that he would be a trade piece for the club thanks to his league average numbers in the big leagues, as well as his versatility as a starter, a long-man, or even a leverage arm at times with the Athletics.
Turns out the trade didn’t take long to complete, as the A’s and Kansas City Royals came to an agreement on Thursday, with Spence headed to Kansas City in exchange for 23-year-old righty A.J. Causey.
The obvious benefit of this deal for the A’s is that they have removed a pitcher without a clear path to the big leagues from their 40-man roster, and in exchange, received a very intriguing righty that they don’t have to add to the 40-man just yet.
He won’t be Rule 5 eligible until December of 2027, so the A’s will have two full seasons to find out what they have in Causey before having to make that decision.
A’s add solid arm from Kansas City
Causey was selected by Kansas City in the fifth round of the 2024 First-Year Player Draft out of the University of Tennessee and made his professional debut in 2025. He combined for an 11-5 record, with nine saves and a 1.72 ERA (2.28 FIP) in 48 relief appearances with High-A Quad Cities and Double-A Northwest Arkansas.
The 23-year-old right-hander held the opposition to a .176 batting average and did not allow a home run in 73 1/3 innings. Causey struck out 75 and walked 18, and will join the A’s camp as a non-roster invitee.
He’d been ranked as the Royals’ No. 31 prospect by FanGraphs, who rated his fastball at a 35, while his slider is a 50 (with 55 potential) on the 20-80 scouting scale, and his changeup is a 60. He made his pro debut last season and moved through the minors quickly, racking up 33 frames in Double-A.
While FanGraphs gave his command a 35 grade, Causey was solid with his control last year, walking just 6.4% of the batters he faced between the two stops. While he’s not necessarily entering the season as someone that could challenge to be the A’s closer on Opening Day, it will be interesting to see how he continues to develop with the A’s.
It will also be nice to see some extra data on his pitches when he gets the call up to Triple-A Las Vegas, where more information will be available. At that point we can get a better sense of his pitch mix, and if he has “closer stuff.”
How Spence fits with the Royals
Spence has been a tough competitor for the A’s in his two seasons in green and gold. He was selected in the Rule 5 Draft ahead of the 2024 campaign, and initially earned a spot on the A’s roster as a long relief option, before transitioning to a starter as the injuries mounted that May.
This past season he missed a spot in the rotation during camp, and was instead used in numerous roles out of the bullpen, including some leverage spots. He even closed out a game for the A’s, earning his first career save.
In total, he holds a 4.77 career ERA (4.53 FIP), but he’s likely to hover closer to league average when he gets settled with the Royals. There likely isn’t space in the rotation for Spence (unless a trade is made or injuries pop up), but he may be able to work his way into a relief role to begin the season.
The tricky part for him will be that a number of the Royals projected relief pitchers are out of options, meaning that they need to remain on the 26-man roster, or be placed on waivers. Former A’s teammate Lucas Erceg is one player with options, but he’s not going anywhere, leaving just Alex Lange and lefty Daniel Lynch IV as the only players that can be moved to the minors.
Spence himself has two options remaining, which could mean beginning in Triple-A Omaha in 2026.
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