Birtsas was slated to be one of two left handers out of the Athletics' bullpen for the season. He allowed five earned runs on two hits (including a grand slam by Brian Downing) and three walks in just one inning in his first appearance of the season. Knee problems were cited as a potential cause of his ineffectiveness. After one more appearance, he was optioned down to triple A Tacoma to "get his groove back." He spent the rest of the season at Tacoma, going 3-7 with a 5.07 ERA, used mostly as a starter.