Josh Reddick: Three Trade Destinations For the Oakland Athletics’ Right-Fielder
Jul 19, 2015; Oakland, CA, USA; Oakland Athletics right fielder Josh Reddick (22) reacts after hitting a grand slam home run against the Minnesota Twins during the fifth inning at O.co Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports
Three Trade Destinations For Josh Reddick
[Editor’s Note: David Murphy reportedly has been traded to the Los Angeles Angels by the Cleveland Indians.]
Oakland Athletics’ outfielder Josh Reddick is having the best season of his career. The right fielder is batting .282/.337/.451 this year, with 12 home runs in 91 games. Reddick has never performed so well, and he’s exceeding his career averages in nearly every category.
And yet, the best thing that Billy Beane could do would be to trade him.
Reddick is in his fourth season with Oakland, after spending three years with the Boston Red Sox, and he will be a free agent after the 2016 season. The A’s would be better off getting whatever trade value they can right now, especially considering how well he has played this season.
After the trades of Scott Kazmir, Ben Zobrist and Tyler Clippard, it’s clear that the Athletics have thrown in the towel on the 2015 season. The returns that they’ve received – Casey Meisner, Jacob Nottingham and others – have made the High-A Stockton Ports a better team, but they are a long way off from being valuable at the major league level. Reddick will be long gone before either trade can produce results at the big league level.
After his public dispute with the front office earlier this season over his lack of at-bats against left-handed pitchers, any trade of Reddick would likely be viewed as retribution for his comments. However, trading Reddick makes sense from a baseball standpoint, and it is in the A’s best interest to unload him this season, when he’s at his highest possible value.
With that in mind, who would be interested in a left fielder who can only bat well against right-handers?
Here are four possibilities:
Next: Reddick Destinations: The Cleveland Indians
Jul 11, 2015; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Indians second baseman Jason Kipnis (22) turns a double play over Oakland Athletics right fielder Josh Reddick (22) in the fourth inning at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-USA TODAY Sports
The Cleveland Indians
The Indians desperately need some power in their lineup, and Josh Reddick would be able to provide that. Between the aging Michael Bourn in center field, and a platoon of Ryan Raburn and David Murphy in right field, Cleveland’s outfield could use an impact bat. They inquired about Carlos Gomez of the Brewers, but as Gomez is likely out of their price range, they might settle for reuniting Reddick with former teammate Brandon Moss.
The Return: The A’s should target the Tribe’s 10th-overall prospect, Erik Gonzalez. Gonzalez is a 23-year-old shortstop, with a killer arm and excellent defensive instincts, but no path to the majors. Top prospects Francisco Lindor and Giovanny Urshela are blocking the left side of the infield, and second baseman Jason Kipnis recently signed a long-term deal. Gonzalez is more glove than bat, but he’s hitting .275/.300/.413 this season, splitting time between Double-A Akron and Triple-A Columbus. He’s also swiped 11 bags, and he had hit six home runs before being called up to Columbus.
After trading away Addison Russell, the A’s need an infielder with defensive prowess, and Gonzalez could be that player. Gonzalez has played every position, outside of pitching and catching, and could easily become a valuable everyday player for the A’s. Because the Tribe doesn’t have a position available for him with the major league club, they would be willing to part with Gonzalez.
Gonzalez alone isn’t worth a year and a half of Reddick, so the Indians would have to throw in another pitcher. One option might be Ryan Merritt, a soft-tossing lefty with excellent control. He doesn’t have the raw talent that many big league pitchers have, but he’s more than capable of getting outs, using finesse instead of power. Merritt is 8-7 with a 3.75 ERA in 19 starts at Double-A Akron this season, including a pair of complete games. He’s only struck out 75 in 120 innings, but he’s also only walked 14.
Merritt is ranked 20th in the Indians’ system, and would pair nicely with Gonzalez in a trade.
The Flaw in the Plan: The Indians have a lefty-heavy lineup, and they might be seeking a right-handed bat to even things out. Fans have clamored for right-handed power for years, but it’s left-handed power hitters like Reddick who can take advantage of the short wall in right field, as opposed to trying to hit a home run into the towering left-field bleachers. There are rumors that David Murphy, who fills a similar role for the Tribe, is available, but that might not matter – Reddick would allow them to rearrange the outfield to compensate for the struggling Bourn.
The Indians also recently went on a five-game losing streak that dropped them into last place, which may have pushed them past the point of contention. However, unlike the A’s, the Tribe is in win-now mode, with four excellent young starters and a handful of young position players. A few solid additions to their lineup could put them back into the race, if only for a Wild Card spot.
Next: Reddick Destinations: New York Mets
August 19, 2014; Oakland, CA, USA; Oakland Athletics right fielder Josh Reddick (16) hits a two-run home run scoring catcher Derek Norris (36, not pictured) against the New York Mets during the eighth inning at O.co Coliseum. The Athletics defeated the Mets 6-2. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
New York Mets
The Mets and A’s have already made one trade this season, so why not another? Reddick fits what they need – a powerful, consistent bat for the outfield. Despite calling up rookie Michael Conforto, the Mets are still short in the outfield. Reddick’s home run potential is exactly what they need. While the Mets have been reluctant to take on big-trade risk in the past, Reddick is cheaper than most other outfield options, and comes with an extra year of control, which might make him worth whatever the A’s are asking.
The Return: The Mets gave the A’s their 15th-ranked prospect for about two dozen innings of Clippard. What would they give up for a year and half of Reddick? The A’s should talk them into Gabriel Ynoa, their 11th-ranked prospect. Ynoa is a hard-throwing right hander with a knack for putting the ball exactly where he wants it, as he’s walked just 22 batters in over 115 innings. Hitters are batting .249 against him, and he has a 7-7 record with a 3.75 ERA in Double-A this season.
Would they be willing to give up both Ynoa and Michael Fulmer, the 12th-overall prospect in their organization? Fulmer has a terrific fastball, and a slider that can generate a lot of swinging strikes. In 80 innings with Double-A this season, he has a 2.03 record as a starter, but he would almost certainly be better utilized in a bullpen role at the major league level, possibly even as a closer. Fulmer and Ynoa would be a terrific hall, and the A’s would be crazy to pass that up to hang on to Reddick.
The Flaw in the Plan: The Mets are not exactly loaded on prospects, and the Oakland Athletics would certainly want more than New York is willing to give up. That extra year of team control means that Reddick will be expensive, perhaps even far more expensive that he’s worth as a platoon hitter. But, Reddick is also still a lot cheaper than many other options, so perhaps the Mets will see him as a comparative bargain instead.
Next: Reddick Destinations: Los Angeles Angels
Jun 20, 2015; Oakland, CA, USA; Oakland Athletics outfielder Josh Reddick (22) crosses home plate after scoring a run against the Los Angeles Angels in the sixth inning at O.co Coliseum. The Athletics defeated the Angels 4-1. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports
Los Angeles Angels
Josh Hamilton was supposed to be the answer for the Los Angeles Angels, but he didn’t quite work out. Now, the Angels are need to fill the hole in their outfield, and MLBTradeRumors.com has reported that the Angels are seeking a left-handed outfielder. Why not Reddick? Billy Beane has already shown an unusual ability to work within the division and get trades done, despite how taboo that typically is.
The Return: The Angels’ farm system is fairly low on prospects that are worth the A’s time. However, there are two players the A’s should seek in exchange for Reddick: The Angels’ ninth-best prospect, Julio Garcia, and Danny Reynolds, who is ranked 20th. The Angels have something going for them that the other teams on this list don’t – they can simply buy the players they need if they trade them away. While the Mets and Indians must carefully balance current and future needs, the Angels virtually have a blank check to fix any errors that they may make. Because of this, they may be more willing to part with prospects in an effort to win now.
Garcia is very, very young. He’s not even 18 years old yet, and he’s already ranked highly on the Angels’ organizational rankings. For his Dominican Summer League team, he’s batting just .231/.264/.279 this season, but his defense is rated very highly. Garcia is a huge gamble, for both the A’s and Angels. He could turn into a star, or he could be a dud – it’s difficult to tell when a player is so young and at such a low level. What is certain, however, is that scouts believe he’s got the stuff to become a stellar shortstop, and that’s worth gambling on.
Reynolds is a more tangible player. He’s pitched over 30 innings with Double-A Arkansas this season, going 1-2 with a 3.52 ERA and five saves, after being moved from the rotation to the bullpen last season. Scouts grade his fastball at 70, which is outstanding for someone who isn’t quite the size of a prototypical right-hander. Most impressively, batters are hitting just .171 against him. If he can tone down his walks – 24 in 30 innings is horrifically bad – he could be a high-impact bullpen arm.
The Flaw in the Plan: As mentioned several times, Reddick is valuable because of the time remaining on his contract. The Angels’ don’t have too many prospects that are surefire successes. Would the A’s be willing to part with the player they know in Reddick, in the hopes of obtaining a couple of prospects who may or may not pan out down the road? Unlike with Brandon Moss and the Joey Wendle trade, the A’s are not looking to dump Reddick’s salary. They need to be certain that what they are getting is worth the cost of losing an outfield.
While the team’s uncertain future renders Reddick’s contract almost useless to them, it is hardly useless to another team that intends to compete this year or in 2016. It’s important to keep in mind that although the best thing to do is to move Reddick while he’s hot, there’s no reason to accept subpar prospects in return.