Oakland Athletics’ Weekend Roundup: Jesse Hahn, Barry Zito, and More

The Oakland Athletics are currently in Cleveland to take on the Indians, but they had a big week in New York. Here are this week’s highlights:

In Case You Missed It – The Hottest Posts This Week:

Samantha Riley explained why Dan Otero needs to be called back up to the big leagues, while Selena Smith talked about Sonny Gray‘s All-Star selection and inability to start the game.

Daniel Martinez discussed why he thinks the Oakland Athletics will finish last in the division race, and Katrina Putnam analyzed the rest of the division.

Meanwhile, Andrew Dambrauskas broke down the reason that Gray stays in games so long, and Rich Paloma suggested an idea for next year’s July Fourth uniforms.

Finally, Steven Luke considered some potential trade returns for Ben Zobrist.

Oakland Athletics Rumors, Transactions and Trades:

Jake Smolinski was called up to join the Oakland roster, and he went 1-for-2 with a walk in his first appearance. Hopefully, he can have a major impact on this A’s squad.

Scott Kazmir left his last start early with triceps tightness, but he is expected to be just fine, and he should make his next start. How will these minor injuries affect his trade value? That remains to be seen.

Jesse Hahn is the bigger concern, as he was placed on the 15-day disabled list after returning to the Bay Area for an MRI on his elbow. He’s already had one Tommy John surgery, but he’s been experiencing some tightness that has the team worried. Luckily, Gray bounced back from his salmonella episode, so the rotation is only a little short-handed. Chris Bassitt will make the start on Saturday in Hahn’s place.

In a non-injury related move, the A’s acquired reliever Aaron Kurcz from the Braves this week, in exchange for more international bonus pool money. Swingin’ A’s took a look at who Kurcz is and how he can help the team.

More from White Cleat Beat

• Zach Logue yet another disappointing Oakland A’s trade return
• Luis Barrera heading to familiar foe in Los Angeles Angels
• Looking back at Ruben Sierra with the Oakland A’s
• San Francisco Giants showing Oakland A’s offseason could be worse
• Lucas Luetge what Oakland A’s need in bullpen

Around the Minors

Veteran Barry Zito continues to impress with the Nashville Sounds. The left-hander is 6-7, with a 3.60 ERA in 18 starts. He also leads the team in strikeouts, with 74 in 110 innings. Jason Pridie is the offensive leader, batting .298/.356/.477 with a team-high 11 home runs, as well as 11 stolen bases. Both players could make an impact with the A’s if given the opportunity – perhaps if Kazmir or one of the team’s outfielders is traded.

Elsewhere in Baseball

Over at Halo Hangout, they discussed the biggest questions for the Los Angeles Angels’ second half of the season.

Climbing Tal’s Hill analyzed the impact of the loss of rookie George Springer, who will miss a considerable amount of time after being hit by a pitch.

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