Oakland Athletics: Who Will Go – Brett Lawrie or Danny Valencia?

During Thanksgiving week, the Oakland Athletics made a trade with the Houston Astros to re-acquire infielder Jed Lowrie. This trade started the rumor mill churning. With Lowrie now on the roster and expected to play at second, it is being reported that the A’s are going to trade Brett Lawrie or Danny Valencia.

Interestingly enough, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reported that it is more likely that the Athletics trade Lawrie rather than Valencia. This comes as a surprise to many for multiple reason.

For one, it was expected that the A’s would want to keep Lawrie until he becomes a free agent. Oakland gave up their star third baseman for Lawrie and it was expected that Lawrie would be their Athletics starting third baseman for many years to come. It seemed unlikely that Billy Beane would give up on Lawrie so quickly – especially since he is only 26 years old and suppose to have a lot of potential.

Secondly, there have been rumors that Valencia has an attitude problem. Even though it is very doubtful that he was the cause of the chemistry issues in the clubhouse since he did not join the team until August, Oakland is trying to improve the team attitude and keeping Valencia might not help with these efforts. It must be noted though that Valencia and Josh Donaldson got along well while they were teammates on the Toronto Blue Jays. Donaldson was beloved by the players in Oakland, so could Valencia’s personality also be compatible his new teammates?

Ultimately, it will come down to which player draws the better deal. Lawrie may be drawing more interest from other organizations, but if the Athletics are offered a better package by the one team pursuing Valencia, then Oakland will probably trade Valencia. The A’s are looking for some specific pieces to boost their roster and the offers brought to the table will dictate who goes and who stays.

Up Next: Oakland Athletics Thanksgiving – A Time To Be Thankful

The Oakland Athletics are expected to make a move soon regarding Lawrie and Valencia. It will be interesting to see who the A’s choose. While Valencia had a breakout season, Lawrie was definitely a disappointment this year even though he is expected to be a successful ballplayer. Both are expected to make the same amount of money next season, so that should not be an issue. It will come down to the deals that are offered for each player and which one benefits the Oakland Athletics more.