Athletics acquire LHP Jeffrey Springs in multiplayer deal with the Rays

The Athletics are building a new-look rotation for their big move to Sacramento.

The A's added to their pitching depth on Saturday, acquiring Jeffrey Springs in a multiplayer trade with the Tampa Bay Rays.

The A's also received fellow left-hander Jacob Lopez from Tampa Bay in exchange for right-handers Joe Boyle and Jacob Watters, infielder Will Simpson and a competitive balance pick in the 2025 amateur draft.

The addition of Springs is another notable move for the A’s ahead of their first season in West Sacramento. They are planning to play at Sutter Health Park for the next three years before they hope to move into a new stadium in Las Vegas.

The A’s finalized a $67 million, three-year contract with veteran right-hander Luis Severino this month.

The A’s went 69-93 this year, and then left Oakland after 57 seasons.

“I've been pretty open about looking for starting pitching since the offseason started and the fact that hopefully signing Severino wasn't going to be the only move we made,” general manager David Forst said. “We've been exploring more options in free agency and having this trade discussion with the Rays probably since middle of October. It got a little momentum in the last couple days and couldn't be more excited to add Jeffrey Springs to our rotation and also add Jacob Lopez who we see as another option for our rotation.”

The 32-year-old Springs had Tommy John surgery on April 24, 2023. He returned to Tampa Bay in July and went 2-2 with a 3.27 ERA in seven starts before he was shut down in September because of elbow fatigue.

Springs is slated to make $10.5 million in each of the next two seasons as part of a $31 million, four-year contract. There is a $15 million team option for 2027 with a $750,000 buyout.

Springs had his best season with the Rays in 2022, going 9-5 with a 2.46 ERA in 33 games, including 25 starts. He also had 144 strikeouts in 135 1/3 innings.

Forst figures Springs wouldn't have been available via trade had he stayed healthy the past two years.

“The way he started out 2023, he looked like he was on track to be one of if not the best pitcher in the big leagues that year with his first three starts,” Forst said. “And then unfortunately he got hurt but was able to come back and make seven starts last year and pitch really well. It's not easy going through that rehab and coming back and competing in the big leagues the following season. Those things were all factors.”

Lopez, 26, made his big league debut in August 2023. He is 1-0 with a 4.76 ERA and one save in eight career games, including two starts.

Tampa Bay is looking to rebound from a disappointing 80-82 finish this year. The Rays went 99-63 and made the AL playoffs as a wild card in 2023.

The 6-foot-7 Boyle was a fifth-round pick by Cincinnati in the 2020 amateur draft out of the University of Notre Dame. He was traded to the A's in July 2023.

Boyle, 25, has a big arm, but he has struggled with control at times. He is 5-6 with a 5.23 ERA in 16 major league games, including 13 starts. He has struck out 71 and walked 45 in 63 2/3 innings.

Simpson, 23, batted .282 with 18 homers and 90 RBIs in 127 games over two minor league stops this year. He was a 15th-round pick in the 2023 draft.

Watters, 23, is 9-12 with a 5.86 ERA in 43 career minor league appearances. He was a fourth-round selection in 2022.

AP Baseball Writers Ronald Blum and Jay Cohen contributed to this story.

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

FILE - Oakland Athletics pitcher Joe Boyle during a baseball game against the Milwaukee Brewers in Oakland, Calif., Saturday, Aug. 24, 2024. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu, File)

FILE - Tampa Bay Rays starting pitcher Jeffrey Springs throws during the first inning of a baseball game Minnesota Twins, Tuesday, Sept. 3, 2024, in St. Petersburg, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara, File)

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korean investigators asked prosecutors to indict the country's detained President Yoon Suk Yeol over his short-lived imposition of martial law last month, as it accused him of rebellion, abuse of power and obstruction of parliament on Thursday.

The Corruption Investigation Office for High-Ranking Officials said that Yoon staged a “riot" and sought to undermine the constitution when he declared martial law on Dec. 3 and sent troops and police officers to seal the National Assembly.

Lee Jae-seung, deputy chief prosecutor at the CIO, told a televised briefing that Yoon also abused his power by mobilizing troops for an illegitimate purpose and attempted to obstruct parliament’s right to vote on ending martial law.

Despite the presence of armed troops, lawmakers managed to enter the assembly chamber and called for an end to the emergency decree in a unianimous vote. The assembly later impeached Yoon, suspending his presidential powers, and the Constitutional Court is now deliberating to determine whether to formally throw Yoon out of office or reinstate him.

Yoon has steadfastly maintained that his actions were intended to issue a warning to the opposition-controlled parliament over its obstruction of his agenda, rather than to disrupt its work.

The Corruption Investigation Office has been leading a probe into Yoon with police and military authorities, and detained him last week.

“As you know, despite facing a nationally grave allegation as ringleader of a rebellion, the suspect has been constantly maintaining uncooperative stance and defying criminal judicial proceedings,” Lee said.

Yoon rebuffed efforts to question him for weeks and used the presidential security service to repel a first attempt to detain him.

Yoon argues that the investigation and his detention are illegal.

Yoon’s defense team issued a statement accusing the CIO of “humiliating” Yoon by trying to pressure him to speak to investigators and abusing his human rights by preventing him from contacting family members. Yoon has refused to participate in questioning since being detained, citing his right to remain silent.

Appearing at a Constitutional Court hearing for the first time on Tuesday, Yoon denied that he ordered the military to drag lawmakers out of the National Assembly to prevent them from voting. Commanders of military units that were sent to the assembly have testified that Yoon ordered them to pull lawmakers out.

Yoon’s martial law decree has shaken South Korean politics and financial markets and hurt its international image. Yoon’s subsequent defiance and the opposition’s push to oust him have also intensified South Korea’s already-serious internal divide.

A TV screen shows footage of impeached South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol during a news program at the Seoul Railway Station in Seoul, South Korea, Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)