OAKLAND, Calif. — Left-hander Nik Turley was traded to the Athletics on Thursday from the Pittsburgh Pirates for $60,000, giving Oakland a reliable reliever for late in games after losing closer Liam Hendriks in free agency.
Turley went 0-3 with a 4.98 ERA and one save over 25 relief outings — the most by any big league rookie — spanning 21 2/3 innings for the Pirates in the coronavirus-shortened 2020 season.
The 31-year-old Turley made his major league debut with the Minnesota Twins in 2017 then didn’t pitch the next two years after working back from Tommy John surgery.
Oakland won the American League West at 36-24 for its third straight playoff berth then beat the Chicago White Sox in the wild-card round before losing in a four-game AL Division Series to rival Houston last fall.