Oakland Athletics Rumors: Tyler Clippard Trade Imminent
The rumor mill has been abuzz this morning regarding an imminent trading involving Oakland Athletics’ closer Tyler Clippard. It has been reported by numerous sources that Clippard could even be traded as soon as today. Most of the teams vying for Clippard are in postseason contention and need a little extra support in the bullpen. Currently, the New York Mets seem to be the frontrunner.
The Mets need a late-inning reliever to setup the eighth before Jeurys Familia steps in to close out the game. One must remember that before coming to Oakland, Clippard was an eighth inning setup man and a quite an effective one at that. Even though he has not demonstrated his best stuff this season, it could just be due to him being uncomfortable in the closer position. He could still be quite effective as a late-inning reliever and that is what the Mets are hoping for.
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Additionally, it has been rumored that the Mets are also interested in utility man Ben Zobrist. This could pose the question of the possibility of a blockbuster deal that would send both Clippard and Zobrist to New York. This would be quite an interesting trade, but the Mets would have to give up a lot in order to acquire these two players.
Even though the New York Mets have been reportedly making progress in a potential deal with the Athletics, there are still some other teams in the mix. This would include the Washington Nationals and the New York Yankees. Clippard is very familiar with both of these clubs.
Clippard spent much of his MLB career with the Nationals – seven seasons to be exact – and was traded from the Nationals to the Athletics during this past offseason. The Nationals are focused on relief pitching as the trade deadline approaches, and since Clippard was beloved in Washington, it would appease the team and the fans to bring Clippard back.
When it comes to the Yankees, Clippard came up through the their farm system and spent one season in the majors with them before going to Washington. So what are the possibilities of him returning to the team with whom he made his major league debut? The Yankees already have a pretty solid bullpen. With Clippard only being a rental player for the rest of this season, it may not make sense for them to acquire Clippard just to relieve some pressure off of current setup man Dellin Betances. They may want someone who will be under club control for a few more seasons.
Keep your eyes on twitter and your ears pressed close to sports radio! With a day off today, the Oakland Athletics are bound to make some major moves. It is even possible that both Clippard and Zobrist will no longer be Athletics after today is over.