With the Athletics expected to make a decision on a new head of baseball operations in the coming days, A's interim GM Dan Feinstein's time in the big chair is coming to an end. Feinstein took over the role after the club fired David Forst in August.

"I said at the beginning that I wasn't happy with anything that happened with David," Feinstein said the day after the regular season ended, "but felt a responsibility to continue the work to get through the season. It was a lot at times. It was challenging at times. It was rewarding. But I'm proud of the work that we all did to get through a tough year." 

While his tenure as the team's GM wasn't a long one, and it came after the trade deadline, which limited how many moves he could really make, he and the front office remained vigilant on the waiver wire, bringing in a number of pieces that could be contributors next season.

The first addition Feinstein made came a day after he took over, and that was to claim Taylor Rashi off waivers from the Minnesota Twins. The 30-year-old right-hander tossed two innings for the A's in Kansas City, giving up three hits and one earned run, walking two and striking out one. 

He was optioned back to Triple-A the following day and designated for assignment on September 11. 

Of course the A's continued to go after pitching, adding left-hander Drew Rom off waivers from the Milwaukee Brewers. The 26-year-old left-hander still has one option year remaining, which could bode well going into 2027. He held a 6.75 ERA across 12 innings with the A's, but also held a 2.85 FIP.

Joe Rock, also a 26-year-old left-hander, was the very next addition — also a waiver claim — from the Chicago White Sox. He made one appearance with the A's in Tampa Bay, but didn't get an out, allowing two runs on a hit and two walks. He has an option year remaining and had good results in Vegas, holding a 1.59 ERA (4.61 FIP) across 11 ⅓ innings.

On August 21, the A's finally claimed a bat in outfielder Johnathan Rodríguez from the Pittsburgh Pirates. He's out of options, which could make it tough for him to stick around this winter, but if he does, it'll be because he hits the ball with authority. He has a career average exit velocity of 91.8 mph (88.6 mph is league average) in 132 plate appearances spread over three seasons.

Rodríguez hit just .239 with a .346 OBP and a 90 wRC+ (100 is league average) in 24 games in Triple-A. 

Chris Roycroft, a 29-year-old right-hander from the Tampa Bay Rays, had his best run of the 2026 campaign with the Athletics, posting a 3.29 ERA (5.37 FIP) across 13 ⅔ innings. His strikeout rate went up a little with the A's, going from 15.3% on the season to 17.2% with the green and gold, while his walk rate also increased by three percentage points, up to 14.1%. He's out of options, but could be an arm the team takes into spring training.

The A's claimed right-hander Hunter Bigge from the Rays, and designated Rashi for assignment in order to fit him on the roster. In his 3 ⅔ innings with the Aviators, Bigge didn't allow a hit or a run, but he did hit a batter and walk three, leading to a FIP of 6.36 in the small sample size. He has an option remaining. 

As you can see, Feinstein and the A's went primarily after relief pitching down the stretch, and may have found a couple of arms that will be of use next season. Of course, the team also has a roster shuffle ahead of it, where it will need to fit a number of players on the 60-day IL back onto the 40-man roster.