Athletics Grab Rashi Off Waivers as Depth Lottery Ticket

The Athletics claimed right-hander Taylor Rashi off waivers from Minnesota on Sunday, marking his third organizational home in just over two months. The Twins designated Rashi for assignment after he posted a 4.76 ERA across 17 innings at Triple-A St. Paul, clearing 40-man roster space to promote shortstop prospect Kaelen Culpepper. Rashi's journey began in early June when Arizona traded him to Minnesota for cash; he never threw a pitch in a Twins uniform, spending his tenure in Minnesota's minor-league system instead.

The profile here is pure volatility. Rashi struck out 28.7% of batters faced—a figure that would rank him in the upper tier of MLB whiff rates if sustained—but walked 11.3%, a rate that balloons his WHIP and his ERA simultaneously. That combination doesn't resolve into a usable big-league pitcher; it looks like a arm with high ceiling and lower floor, the type of lottery ticket clubs burn on waiver claims when they have little to lose and bullpen depth to absorb.

Oakland's claim reflects the calendar more than Rashi's talent. We're approaching the final seven weeks of the regular season, and rotation depth—especially cheap, non-prospect depth—carries real value in September. The A's aren't betting Rashi is the next breakout; they're betting one or two of his high-strikeout appearances might matter in a close game if injuries hit their current staff. It's a thin margin, but in August roster moves, thin margins are the entire game.

For prop bettors, the angle is narrow and single-event. Any appearance Rashi makes in an A's uniform will carry inflated strikeout upside—his 28.7% K rate in the minors projects to 10+ K/9 if he pitches multiple innings in a major-league game. But the assignment also implies Oakland sees him as low-confidence enough that starts are unlikely; relief appearances against small sample-size opponents offer the clearest edge. The betting takeaway isn't to load up on Rashi props in bulk, but to eye his strikeout rate if he enters a blowout or low-leverage spot in the next week or two, before Vegas has re-priced his minor-league track record into the odds.