A’s Select Nick Allen, four others

The Athletics announced Friday that they have selected the contracts of five players, including shortstop prospects Nick Allen. Also added to the list of 40 are domestic players Bride Jonah and Jordan Diaz, correct Jorge Juan, and midfielder Cody Thomas.

Allen, 23, was a third-round pick in 2017 and is considered an elite defensive prospect – placing third among A’s farmers at Baseball America and MLB.com, as well as fifth at FanGraphs . Listed at 5’8″ and 166 pounds, Allen’s light frame has led to concerns about him eventually going upstream, even though he’s looked pretty good in 50 Double-A games this season, reached .319 / .374 / .471 to 229 appeared plates.

Allen, who also won an Olympic Silver Medal with Team USA, struggled to hit the Triple-A ball for the first time this past season, with a record of .243/.302/.301. It’s a sample of just 151 appearances, though, and Allen’s gauntlet and speed alone could have made him selected in this year’s Rule of 5 if he hadn’t been covered. With Team A embarking on what looks to be a significant setback, Allen should get his chance at the majors before it’s too long – especially if he produces more attack in his second. through Triple-A.

Diaz, a 21-year-old corner midfielder, has split his 2021 season between first base and third base scoring .288 / .337 / .483 with 13 own goals, 24 doubles and triple at Class-A Advanced. He’s 11th among A’s prospects at MLB.com and 13th at Baseball America, drawing much praise for his disc discipline and hitting gear.

Listed at a towering 6’8″ and 250 pounds, 22-year-old Juan possesses a fast ball that can hit the upper 90s (and could feel even faster when he’s extended on the frame). He’s beaten 34.5% of his opponents between Class-A and Class-A Advanced this season, albeit in a small sample of 26 2/3 innings. for a young player of this size, Juan misses misses but also has difficulty controlling the ball (14.8% career walk rate). one of Oakland’s 25 best prospects, but also a bit of a risk to him.

The bride, who turns 26 next month, is the 23rd player in the 2018 draft, who has participated in more than 17% of his Double-A plate appearances this season. Splitting her time between the third base, the first base, and the second base, Bride slashes a combined .265 / .407 / .424 with as many walks as the attacks (57).

Thomas, 27 years old, came to A with Adam Kolarek in the transaction sent Sheldon Neuse and Gus Varland for the Dodgers. While the Kolarek part of Oakland’s comeback certainly didn’t go as expected, Thomas completely destroyed the Three-A shot with a .289 / .363/ .665 hit. In just 245 appearances, Thomas tore the net 18 times at home, 20 doubles and 4 trebles. As impressive as his left-wing pop, Thomas is also fancied in 31.8% of his disc appearances, so there’s some obvious interest in him. His 2021 season was cut short due to an Achilles injury that kept him out of action after July 25.