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MESA, Ariz. -- The A’s are bringing back a fan favorite to their organization.

With Spring Training opening earlier this week, the A’s reunited with outfielder Stephen Piscotty on a Minor League deal and assigned him to Triple-A Las Vegas.

Piscotty, 33, grew up a die-hard A’s fan in the East Bay city of Pleasanton. Traded from the Cardinals to Oakland in December 2017, he lived out a childhood dream by playing for his hometown team for five seasons from '18-22.

“It’s awesome,” A’s manager Mark Kotsay said of having Piscotty back in the organization. “Stephen reached out to us and expressed his desire to come back here and give it another shot. He said he feels great.”

After setting career-highs with 27 home runs and 88 RBIs with the A’s in 2018, Piscotty battled several injuries and struggled to regain that form in the four years following. He signed a Minor League deal with the White Sox last April and spent the entire season at Triple-A Charlotte, where he hit .232 with six homers and 32 RBIs in 51 games.

While Piscotty will begin his spring in A’s Minor League camp, Kotsay did not rule out the possibility of adding him to big league camp next month if an opportunity arises. At the very least, Piscotty brings experience and can serve as a resource for the younger players on the roster, whether that comes in the Majors or at Triple-A.

“The only reason Stephen is not in big league camp right now is, obviously we signed him late, and we’ve got a ton of outfielders here that we need to take a look at,” Kotsay said. “It’s important that he can just prepare for his season. This is a guy that has a track record, and he’s a great person to be around if he is in Triple-A to be around that group and impact them.”

The A's won their last World Series championship in 1989. Who was the MVP of that Fall Classic?

A. Rickey Henderson
B. Carney Lansford
C. Mike Moore
D. Dave Stewart

The A’s met with officials from both the city of Oakland and Alameda County on Thursday to discuss a potential extension of their current lease at the Oakland Coliseum, which is set to expire after the 2024 season. The meeting included A's team president Dave Kaval, and marked the first formal gathering between the three sides since the A’s announced their intention to relocate to a new ballpark in Las Vegas, which is expected to be ready for play by 2028 Opening Day.

"We had a positive meeting with the City and County," the A's said on Thursday in a statement. "We look forward to further discussions regarding a lease extension at the Coliseum for the interim period before the Vegas ballpark opens."

The A’s will continue to explore other options in their search for a temporary home from 2025-27 in addition to extending their lease at the Coliseum, including Sutter Health Park in Sacramento, home of the Giants’ Triple-A affiliate, and Smith’s Ballpark in Salt Lake City, home of the Angels’ Triple-A affiliate.

The A's are celebrating their 10th season of Spring Training at their home ballpark of Hohokam Stadium in Mesa, Ariz. Secure your tickets for the best seats at the lowest prices for a Spring Training game versus the Giants, Padres, Cubs, Angels and more.

• Coming off a stellar rookie campaign, Zack Gelof arrived to Spring Training having picked the brain of one of MLB’s elite hitters this offseason. More >>

• A’s top pitching prospect Mason Miller discussed how he’s handling his move to the bullpen for 2024. More >>

D. Dave Stewart

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