AL Squad Claims Brewers Reliever After Latest Bullpen Meltdown

The Athletics have claimed reliever Drew Rom off waivers from the Milwaukee Brewers following a series of bullpen meltdowns. The A's found themselves trailing 6-2 after the seventh inning of Monday's game against the Tampa Bay Rays, ultimately losing their ninth game in their past eleven. Relievers Jose Suarez and Seth Johnson were largely responsible, allowing eight runs in the eighth inning.

Rom, 26, made his Major League debut with the St. Louis Cardinals in 2023 after being traded for Jack Flaherty from the Baltimore Orioles. He spent the remainder of the 2023 season with the Cardinals, posting an 8.02 ERA through 33.2 innings pitched. Rom missed the entire 2024 season due to a left shoulder biceps tendinitis injury, and struggled with injury throughout 2025 before declaring free agency at the end of the year.

The Brewers signed him to a minor league deal, and he saw action in five games, posting a 3.18 ERA across 5.2 innings and striking out 11 batters. Despite not being a dominant fastball, Rom's ability to strike batters out with his fastball, which ranks in the 20th percentile for velocity at 92.4 mph, and his elite swing-and-miss rate of 39.1% make him an attractive prospect for the Athletics, who have struggled mightily at the back of the rotation and in the bullpen this season.

The Athletics have neglected their bullpen over the offseason, despite losing experienced arms like Sean Newcomb and Mason Miller, and now face a bullpen that sports the worst collective ERA in MLB, trailing their AL West rivals by a considerable margin.