The Oakland Athletics designated struggling right-hander Fernando Rodney for assignment on Saturday.
Rodney had a 9.42 ERA during 17 appearances this season. Opponents batted .345 against him in 14 1/3 innings.
The 42-year-old Rodney ranks 18th in major league history with 325 saves. He is 48-68 with a 3.79 ERA in 913 career appearances since 2002.
Oakland exercised a $5.25 million club option for 2019 on Rodney in the offseason. But he turned out to be a major disappointment during his 17th season.
“I had a very good time,” Rodney told the San Francisco Chronicle. “It’s a very good group of people here, good teammates. I think it’s best for me and the organization, too, because I haven’t had too many chances to pitch and help the team.”
Oakland was the 10th major league team Rodney has pitched for, and the two-time All-Star saved more than 35 games in five different seasons. He led the American League with 48 in 2014 for the Seattle Mariners.
Left-hander Wei-Chung Wang was recalled from Triple-A Las Vegas to fill the roster opening.
Wang, 27, is 1-1 with a 3.75 ERA in 16 appearances at Las Vegas. He made 22 appearances for the Milwaukee Brewers (2014, 2017) and has an 11.09 ERA in the majors.
