The Athletics blew yet another late lead in Monday's game against the Tampa Bay Rays, prompting them to claim reliever Drew Rom off waivers from the Milwaukee Brewers.

The A's held a 6-2 lead after the seventh inning Monday, but relievers Jose Suarez and Seth Johnson combined to allow eight runs in the eighth inning as they dropped their ninth game in their last 11.

Rom, 26, made his MLB debut with the St. Louis Cardinals in 2023 after a deadline deal for Jack Flaherty sent him over from the Baltimore Orioles' organization. He started eight games throughout the remainder of the season, posting an 8.02 ERA through 33.2 innings pitched.

He missed the entire 2024 season with left shoulder biceps tendinitis, and also struggled with injury throughout 2025 before declaring his free agency at the end of the season. The Brewers signed him to a minor league deal, and he spent most of the season jumping between MLB and Triple-A before they designated him for assignment.

Rom made five appearances for the Brewers before they DFA'd him, posting a 3.18 ERA through 5.2 innings while striking out 11 batters.

The left-hander doesn't throw especially hard — his fastball ranks in the 20th percentile in terms of velocity at 92.4 mph — but misses bats at an elite clip, inducing swings and misses at a 39.1% clip this season. He has struggled with hard contact this year, though, as his barrel percentage and hard-hit ball percentage are both far from where they need to be.

Rom may not be the perfect reliever, but the A's need all the help they can get out of the bullpen.

How Has the A's' Bullpen Performed in 2026?

The A's hardly invested in their bullpen over the offseason despite the losses of Sean Newcomb and Mason Miller, and have dearly paid the price for their decision in 2026.

Their bullpen has the worst collective ERA in MLB, well clear of the next closest team with a 5.77 mark. They have blown 24 saves this season, which is one shy of the most in the American League behind the Detroit Tigers. They have allowed the most homers in the American League, and have the lowest left on base percentage in MLB as well.

They have experimented with several waiver pickups to improve their bullpen over the last couple of weeks, but none of them have made much of a difference so far. They'll hope Rom will be the answer to their problems as they look to keep themselves out of the AL West's basement.