Athletics keep stacking infield depth ahead of the deadline

The A's have made a habit this season of grabbing guys nobody else wanted and turning them into bench pieces or trade chips, and their latest add fits that mold perfectly. Jonathan Ornelas, a 26-year-old infielder, is heading to Oakland's org on a minor league deal after reportedly opting out of his contract with the Yankees, where he'd been mashing at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.

MLB Trade Rumors

@mlbtraderumors

A's, Jonathan Ornelas Agree To Minor League Deal t.co/nhDhU2jMAs

It's a low-cost, low-risk move, but the numbers behind it are legit. Ornelas was hitting.299/.362/.480 with 9 home runs through 280 plate appearances for the Yankees' Triple-A affiliate before deciding he'd rather chase an opportunity elsewhere. That's exactly the kind of hot streak a rebuilding club like the A's loves to buy on the cheap.

This isn't Ornelas' first taste of the big leagues, either. A third-round pick by the Rangers back in 2018, he's bounced between Texas and Atlanta at the MLB level, appearing in 32 games between 2023 and 2025 and hitting a rough.208 with no homers in that stretch. The Triple-A production suggests there might be more in the tank than that small sample showed.

For the Athletics, this is deadline-season roster building 101. They're not walking into October, but they can absolutely use churn at the infield spot to see what sticks heading into next year, especially with a farm system that's still filling out at the big league level. Ornelas gives them a depth piece with real minor league thump who's shown he can at least survive in the majors.

Don't expect fireworks right away. Ornelas will need to force his way onto the 40-man radar with more Triple-A production before he sees Oakland. But for a club that's made a living off finding value in the margins, this is exactly the kind of quiet swing that could pay off if he keeps hitting like he did in Scranton.