The A’s have struck a deal with the Blue Jays for right-hander Hayden Juenger, both teams announced. Catcher Owen Carapellotti is heading back to Toronto. Juenger was designated for assignment by the Blue Jays earlier this week when righty Shane Bieber returned. The Athletics DFAed infielder Brett Harris to clear a 40-man spot for Juenger.
The 25-year-old Juenger had his contract selected by Toronto at the end of May. He allowed three earned runs over two innings in his brief time with the big-league club. Juenger earned his first taste of the majors after delivering a strong 2.59 ERA across 21 appearances at Triple-A this year. The righty posted a 27.2% strikeout rate and trimmed his troubling walk rate to 8.7%, one of the best marks of his career.
Juenger didn’t attract any suitors during the Rule 5 draft this winter. He now finds a new home without the requirement of being kept on the MLB roster. The A’s stepped in and executed a trade instead of rolling the dice on the waiver wire process. They parted with a low-level minor league backstop to secure Juenger’s services.
Carapellotti signed with the A’s as an undrafted free agent this past July. The 23-year-old has shown impressive power in a small sample at Single-A, popping eight home runs in 20 games. Carapellotti played four years of college ball at Georgetown. He hit .298 with 14 home runs for the Hoyas during the 2025 campaign.
Harris has been up and down with the A’s in each of the last three seasons. He appeared in just five games this year, primarily as a defensive replacement. Harris has a 77 wRC+ across 213 MLB plate appearances. He’s played both corner infield spots plus second base in the big leagues, though most of his reps have come at third. Harris put together a strong defensive showing in 2025, accruing 5 Defensive Runs Saved in 27 appearances at the hot corner.
The A’s have five days to find a trade partner for Harris or put him on outright waivers. The waiver process takes 48 hours, so Harris’ status will be clarified within a week.
Photo courtesy of Daniel Kucin Jr., Imagn Images
