The Athletics Could Get Similar Return for Josh Reddick as San Diego Has for Chase Headley

Josh Reddick,

Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

On Tuesday, the Padres traded Chase Headley to the Yankees for utility man Yangervis Solarte and minor leaguer Rafael De Paula.

Solarte started off 2014 scorching, batting .303 and .296 in April and May. When the calendar turned to June, Solarte began struggling mightily and was sent down to the minors. Despite the struggles, Solarte still has some upside if he can make some adjustments at the plate.

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Rafael De Paula is a 23-year-old RHP and was with the Yankees High-A minor league team before the trade. De Paula’s WHIP and ERA sit at 1.416 and 4.15 on the season respectively, but his K/9 ratio is an impressive 10.5. With some tinkering from the Padres’ coaches, he could turn into a decent player.

The Padres took this return for Chase Headley, a player that is a free agent at the end of the season. Josh Reddick on the other hand becomes a free agent in 2017. With comparable stats, it is conceivable that the Athletics could get more of a return for Reddick than the Padres did for Headley.

Let’s compare the stats:

First, Chase Headley.

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Now, Josh Reddick.

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While Headley’s breakout season was a better one, his fall from grace has also been a little more dramatic. Reddick has had fewer at-bats each of the past two seasons, and his numbers are still comparable to Headley’s. Couple that with his contract keeping him under team control for a couple of years, and the fact that Reddick plays much better defense, and the return for Josh Reddick could be even greater than the one the Padres got for Headley.

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In 2012, when Reddick and Headley played nearly the same amount, Reddick earned a dWAR of 1.3 and a Gold Glove, while Headley had a 0.0 dWAR. The past 2 seasons, even with less time on the field, Reddick still holds the advantage at 1.6 to 1.5 in dWAR. It’s close, but Headley has also seen the field a lot more.

It sounds like Josh Reddick has been hurt a lot the past couple of seasons, so wouldn’t that hurt his trade value? Not necessarily. Last season’s wrist injury was a freak accident, brought on by hustle. Red’s latest injury didn’t necessarily require him going on the D.L. either, but since the A’s have enough depth, they could afford to be cautious.

The vibe from A’s fans this season is that Reddick needs to go. Doesn’t matter where, just away. Using Chase Headley as an example, this is about the return that the Athletics could expect. So, I ask you. Do you make that trade?