The A’s could find themselves facing Andrew Bailey in a Texas Rangers uniform if the latest MLB trade rumors come to fruition. Oakland hasn’t been shy about making their players available for trade this winter, as Billy Beane and the front office try to build for the future. Bailey, a young closer with some serious talent, is figured to be among those players deemed available by the A’s.
In fact, aside from starter Gio Gonzalez, Bailey’s name has turned up in a lot of the trade rumors circulating around the league lately. According to MLBTradeRumors.com, the A’s All-Star and former Rookie-of-the-Year closer is being pursued by various teams throughout the league.
Oakland’s AL West rivals the Texas Rangers figure to be among those teams interested in adding Bailey to their bullpen. Wait a minute, the Rangers? Would the A’s ever move their prized closer to a division rival?
If the price is right, they will.
In three seasons with the A’s, the 27-year old Bailey has recorded 75 saves and has compiled a 2.07 ERA over 174.0 innings. He also has 174 strikeouts and has issued just 49 walks during his three years with Oakland. Considering the fact that he’s still relatively young, the price tag for Bailey should be at an all-time high.
The A’s remain extremely high on their young players, with Bailey being no exception. The A’s will likely want a boatload of talent in return for Bailey. The Rangers, who missed out on another chance to capture a world series title this year, could use Bailey in their bullpen.
It would make Texas’ bullpen pretty solid, especially with Joe Nathan now added to the mix. The price has to be right, however, in order to pry Bailey from Oakland’s grasp.