Trade Speculations Surrounding the Oakland Athletics
Feb 18, 2014; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Oakland Athletics general manager Billy Beane speaks to the media during MLB media day at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
The weather’s heating up, and so is the market for many major league baseball clubs – many of whom consider themselves front-runners in their respective divisions, and possibly a piece or two away from making the postseason a reality.
It’s only June, you’ve got me there! However, one front-line starter here and a veteran bat there could ultimately be what separates the “pretenders” from the “contenders” in October. For the moment, the Oakland Athletics fall into the “pretenders” category, but in a weak American League West division – where the Houston Astros have recorded two wins in their last ten games – who’s to say the A’s couldn’t make a push for the division?
While that is quite possible, let’s shift gears – to if the A’s indeed become sellers in the next few weeks. There are several players who could be on the move prior to the July 31st MLB Trade Deadline:
Next: The Lone Lefty
1. Starting pitcher Scott Kazmir
(3-4, 2.84 ERA in 13 starts)
August 19, 2014; Oakland, CA, USA; Oakland Athletics starting pitcher Scott Kazmir (26) reacts after giving up a home run to New York Mets designated hitter Travis d
Since joining the Athletics in 2014, Scott Kazmir has been a vital asset to Oakland’s starting rotation — considering the fact that it has gotten even younger in 2015, with pitchers like Sonny Gray, Jesse Hahn, Kendall Graveman and Jesse Chavez; just to name a few. Last season, the southpaw posted a stellar 15-9 record with a 3.55 ERA in 32 starts. More times than not, Kazmir has been a very reliable starter for his ball club, despite the fact that reaching the mid-90s on any of his pitches is out of the question. At this stage in his career, Kazmir relies in his fastball like most pitchers do, but he has leaned heavily on the change-up and cutter as his primary off-speed pitches to catch opposing hitters off guard. According to FanGraphs, Kazmir uses these two pitches exclusively (33.7 percent of the time) when not tossing the BIG CHEESE! His recent success was rewarded in 2014, as he was named one of seven representatives from Oakland in the 2014 MLB All-Star Game.
Know GMs who think Kazmir goes to Houston:'Stros need him, they almost signed him before A's, he'd be home, no state income tax
— Peter Gammons (@pgammo) June 15, 2015
It was a surprise to see Kazmir linked to the Astros – when clubs like the Los Angeles Dodgers, St. Louis Cardinals, Texas Rangers and even the New York Yankees could use a back-end starter to gear up their rotations. Many of these organizations are stocked with MLB-ready prospects, including outfielder and Pleasanton, California native Stephen Piscotty of the Cardinals. Should this theory prove to be concrete, a good trade candidate would be Astros’ middle infielder Tony Kemp, in light of highly-touted prospect Carlos Correa playing at shortstop and Jose Altuve playing at second base for many years to come.
Next: Setup Man, Turned Closer
2. Closer Tyler Clippard (1-3, 2.96 ERA, SV 10/12 in 27 appearances)
May 29, 2015; Oakland, CA, USA; Oakland Athletics relief pitcher Tyler Clippard (36) delivers a pitch during the ninth inning against the New York Yankees at O.co Coliseum. The Athletics defeated the Yankees 6-2. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
Tyler Clippard was a staple in the Washington Nationals organization for seven seasons, and even racked up 32 saves in 2012 as their closer. Known primarily as a setup man, Billy Beane took a gamble this past off-season when he swapped middle infielder Yunel Escobar, acquired in the Tampa Bay Rays deal, to D.C. for Clippard. Clippard’s fastball – along with a filthy change-up and curve-ball, has helped him be a solid setup man for many years, and his pitching arsenal is nothing to laugh at. His home run to fly ball rate is exceptional at 4.1 percent – which is the best it’s been in his major league career thus far. However, don’t forget to consider that because this percentage is so minuscule, Clippard’s ground ball rate isn’t very high. Meaning that when hitters are making contact, whether it’s recorded as a hit or an out, pitches tend to be left up in the strike zone. Nonetheless, Clippard has been very successful since joining the A’s, and the heavy marine layer has been a savior – halting most baseballs at the warning track. Despite the fact that Clippard has been pitching away from his typical setup role, he has several suitors so far including the Toronto Blue Jays, Houston Astros, and even the Minnesota Twins. Because he’s a free agent after the 2015 season, it is tough to say what kind of prospect the A’s could get in return. But if Beane is willing to take on a bit of Clippard’s salary, who’s to say the return couldn’t make an impact on the organization fairly quickly?
Next: The Utility Man With the Plan
3. Second baseman/Right-fielder Ben Zobrist
(.227, 3 homeruns, 18 RBIs in 34 games)
May 28, 2015; Oakland, CA, USA; Oakland Athletics second baseman Ben Zobrist (18) looks on during the seventh inning against the New York Yankees at O.co Coliseum. The Athletics defeated the Yankees 5-4. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
Ben Zobrist has been one of my favorite baseball players – even during his stint on the Tampa Bay Rays. He can play almost anywhere on the field: second, shortstop, third, left and right field. He’s not a guy who will hit 30 homers in a season, but he’s more than capable of giving a ball club 15-20 a year, along with a career average of .263. Because of Zobrist’s versatility, he is highly considered to be Oakland’s “prized possession” for any contending team. It seems that the Chicago Cubs are the front-runners thus far for Zobrist’s services, and the fact that Joe Maddon is the skipper would most definitely make the transition to the north side much easier – considering their track-record in Tampa Bay. The utility man with the plan has also been linked to the St. Louis Cardinals, where outfielder Matt Holliday is on the disabled list, along with the New York Mets and the Yankees – just to name a few clubs. Beane should have no problem receiving two, if not three, major-league ready players in any deal. After undergoing arthroscopic surgery on a meniscus tear on his left knee on April 12th, there is speculation to believe that his trade value has decreased. However, with his veteran presence, along with a four-walk performance and above-average range in the outfield on Monday night in San Diego; I have to believe that we are finally seeing the Ben Zobrist so many of us have raved about.
Next: Final Thoughts
Final Thoughts
Jun 16, 2015; San Diego, CA, USA; The Oakland Athletics celebrate after defeating the San Diego Padres 6-5 at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports
With their 28-39 record, it is easy to see why the Oakland A’s would be sellers in mid-June. Josh Reddick and Stephen Vogt are having monster performances this season — so who’s to say that they couldn’t be on their way out of town as well?
To be honest, the A’s have some young-cost controlled pieces in shortstop Marcus Semien, catcher Josh Phegley, third baseman Brett Lawrie and outfielder Billy Burns. If you cap that around Vogt, Reddick and even Sonny Gray, the A’s should have a very good team for years to come. Sure, things haven’t gone the way many of us A’s fans had expected; but whose to say they won’t turn things around! I for one, have yet to throw in the towel on 2015.