Jharel Cotton made 24 starts for the A's in 2017. After two years ravaged from injuries, the right-hander was designated for assignment on Wednesday.
The A's DFA'd Cotton to make room on the 40-man roster for pitching prospect Daulton Jefferies.
Cotton, 27, went 2-0 with a 2.15 ERA over five starts as a rookie in 2016. He looked like someone primed to have a place in the rotation for years to come. But he struggled with his command and had a 5.58 ERA in 2017.
Cotton underwent Tommy John surgery in March 2018, and looked to make his return to the big leagues this past season. He missed all of June with a hamstring injury while rehabbing in the minors, and never found his rhythm on the mound.
Over 18 minor league outings -- 14 in Triple-A, four in Advanced Single-A -- Cotton pitched just 27 2/3 innings in 2019. He finished 1-3 with a 7.16 ERA.
The A's will be on the hunt for pitching depth this offseason, but Cotton likely will not be a part of the future anymore.
Oakland added Jefferies to the 40-man roster to protect him from the Rule 5 draft. The Cal product put up big numbers in his first full season since Tommy John surgery.
Sports
Jefferies, 24, underwent the surgery in 2017 after two games and tossed only two innings of Rookie ball in 2018. He was back to healthy this season and showed why he's one of the A's top prospects.
[RELATED: Five relievers A's could target during MLB free agency]
Between Advanced Single-A Stockton and Double-A Midland, Jeffries went 2-2 with a 3.42 ERA this past season. He appeared in 26 games -- 15 starts -- and struck out 93 batters in 79 innings.
Jefferies is ranked as the A's No. 12 prospect by MLB Pipeline, and could possibly push for his MLB debut in 2020.
