Oakland Athletics: Trading Brett Lawrie is First Step to Bettering Team for 2016

As many know, Oakland Athletics acquired infielder Brett Lawrie in the Josh Donaldson trade last offseason. Now that almost a year has passed since this transaction, it is time to re-evaluate Lawrie and his potential with the A’s. Let’s quickly review his first season with the green and gold.

This season with the Athletics, Lawrie batted .260/.299/.407 with a .706 OPS. Additionally, he had the third most home runs on the team with 16 this season and was able to rack up a commendable 60 RBI. His power did dwindle as the season went on, probably due to the fact that he played less than 110 games in 2013 and only 70 games in  2014 due to injuries.

Unfortunately, his defense was lacking. He committed 24 errors and, out of all of the MLB starting third basemen, he had the worst fielding percentage at that position. However, when moved over to second base, he did show some promise and more consistent fielding ability.

Overall, Lawrie did an adequate job for the A’s. He was not horrible, yet he was not great. And, compared to the player for whom he was traded, Lawrie performed below average. Lawrie was suppose to have a lot of potential when healthy – which he was for the entire season – but there ended up being nothing special about his playing ability. Thus, it is time for the Oakland Athletics to trade Lawrie.

There has been talk that the A’s need are going to try to bring in a veteran player to provide more leadership in the clubhouse. There are two places where an experienced player is needed – in the starting rotation and in the middle infield. If the A’s pick up a veteran middle infielder, who would most likely be there to help mentor Marcus Semien, there will be no room for Lawrie. Eric Sogard will continue to be the Oakland Athletics’ backup infielder due to his top notch defensive skills and low price tag.

Additionally, the A’s have many second basemen coming up from the Minor Leagues over the next couple of years. So, if Oakland can snag a quality veteran to stick at second for just a year, then hopefully someone like Chad Pinder or Joey Wendle will be ready to be called up to the Major Leagues come 2017.

The A’s also may be able to get something in return for Lawrie. It will not be a big return, but Lawrie’s bat was pretty consistent and he was able to stay healthy for the entire season. Perhaps Oakland could even throw in a prospect to make the deal a little sweeter.

Ultimately, Lawrie was just not highly impressive this year. The Athletics need someone with more experience and defensive consistency. The Oakland Athletics should definitely be considering trading Lawrie.

Next: Athletics' Prospect Chad Pinder Dazzles In Arizona Fall League