The reaction to the Oakland Athletics trading Josh Donaldson has been mixed between “heartbroken” and “well, that’s how we roll.” This trade, however, should not been seen as Oakland starting a full-on rebuild. Instead, they are doing exactly what Billy Beane said they would attempt to do this offseason–improve both the major league team as well as the farm system. According to Ken Rosenthal, ” have at least one more significant trade brewing.” We’ll save that one for another piece.
Josh Donaldson has found a new home in Toronto, but what exactly are the A’s getting in return, and just who are these guys? The most notable name coming to Oakland is third baseman, Brett Lawrie. Lawrie is 24-years old, and is a career .265 hitter. The major caveat with him has been his inability to stay healthy for a whole season. Donaldson on the other hand plays in nearly every single game. IF Lawrie can stay healthy, (and that is admittedly a big if, having played as many as 125 games once in three full seasons) then the drop-off, while there, will be a little easier to swallow. There is a chance that getting away from the astroturf at Rogers Centre for half of his games could help Lawrie stay healthy, but that is just optimistic speculation.
If healthy, Baseball Prospectus is projecting a 2015 season for Lawrie of 24 home runs and 86 rbi, while batting .270 in 634 at-bats. They also compare him to Pablo Sandoval, David Wright and Troy Tulowtizki. Not bad company.
While Rosenthal stated in his piece that with four years of club control left for Donaldson, it will make it that much harder to “win” the deal if you’re Billy Beane, this deal may not be about winner and losers. Both teams received players that each feels will help their team achieve their goal.
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It’s the three prospects that were included in the deal that make it for the A’s, anyway. First off, there is Sean Nolin, a 24-year old lefty, who is primed for the majors. While he was injured with a recurring groin strain for nearly a third of the season in the minors, Nolin came off of the DL in late July to throw six scoreless innings, surrendering just two hits. Nolin compiled a 3.50 ERA this season in Triple-A. The 6’4″ lefty is also known as a ground ball pitcher. Depending on what else Billy Beane has up his sleeve this offseason, Nolin could become a Dan Otero-type option out of the bullpen, if the A’s decide to go that route.
Next on the list is Kendall Graveman. Graveman was selected in the 8th round of the 2013 draft and is under team control until 2021. Both Nolin and Graveman made it to The Show in 2014, but Nolin tallied only one inning, while Graveman, a 23-year old righty, saw 4 2/3 innings and collected a 3.86 ERA. If you’re in to Sabermetrics, Graveman’s FIP was just 1.42. The righty didn’t allow a walk in his time in the big leagues, which, according to his minor league track record, is common for the young man.
Graveman saw every level of the Jays’ system in 2014, from A ball to Triple-A. Without knowing too much about the kid, he could end up being a Brandon Finnegan type. His WHIP in Triple-A sat just above 1, which is stellar. If the A’s are looking for one of the two new acquisitions to be a starter, at first blush, I’d say Kendall Graveman is the guy.
The last piece of this trade puzzle is quite possibly the juiciest. Shortstop Franklin Barreto is just 18-years old, and spent most of 2014 in Low-A Vancouver. This season, he belted 6 home runs and drove in 61 with 29 steals in just 73 games. Keep in mind, he is not fully developed yet, and those power numbers will likely increase over time. According to Baseball Prospectus, Barreto, in the long-term, projects to being a center fielder, and has a very high ceiling.
As an A’s fan, I’m optimistic about what these players will provide moving forward. The cynic in me justifies the trade by thinking that Donaldson is nearly 29, and 30 seems to be the point in many player’s careers when production starts to decline. It’s always better to let a player go a year too early than a year too late, right? Yet, Donaldson was a fan favorite. We expect something like this as A’s fans. We have no choice but to be optimistic, and the return for Donaldson provides that incentive.
Maybe, just maybe, Billy Beane knows what he’s doing. Only time will tell. Until then, we will eagerly anticipate the next domino falling in the reconstruction of the Oakland Athletics for 2015.