The Oakland Athletics continued their youth movement on Wednesday by trading veteran outfielder Rajai Davis to the Red Sox.
Rajai Davis returned to Oakland this offseason with the hopes of adding quickness to the A’s offense. Davis struggled, however, to find consistency at the plate in the first-half. His blazing speed did very little to ignite the A’s offense this year.
On Wednesday, the A’s dealt Davis to the Boston Red Sox in exchange for prospect Rafael Rincones.
I've had confirmation that the A's have traded Rajai Davis to Boston; no announcement possible with Oakland still in extra innings.
— Susan Slusser (@susanslusser) August 23, 2017
The A’s decision to cut ties with Davis makes sense, considering the team has been struggling all year long. Davis was signed to a one-year deal worth $6 million and was expected to elevate the A’s base running attack.
Oakland’s offense, though, has been rather one-dimensional this season. The A’s seemingly dig the long-ball and Davis’s 26 steals this year seemed to go unnoticed. In 134 games last year, Davis managed to steal a total of 43 bases.
Oakland Athletics
Overall, Billy Beane and David Forst’s decision to sign Davis this year did not pay off. Davis struggled throughout the first few months of the season and failed to make an impact on offense.
Prior to the All-Star break, Davis slashed just .210/.270/.308 with two home runs and 12 RBI. Despite his early struggles, the A’s continued to roll with Davis at the top of their lineup.
Things have gotten a bit better for Davis in the second-half, though. While he has slowed down some in August, Davis is slashing .303/.361/.487 since the All-Star break. With the Red Sox, Davis should provide some much needed depth in the outfield.
Another (Young) Prospect
In return, the A’s received yet another prospect. Rafael Rincones was acquired by the A’s in the deal and just turned 18 in July. The young outfielder has spent the last two years playing in the Dominican Summer League with mildly successful results.
While the A’s did not receive top-tier talent in exchange for Davis (did they expect to?), Rincones could have some upside. He is, after all, just 18 years old and has plenty of time before a trip to the majors becomes a reality.
At this point, the A’s should continue their focus on stockpiling young talent. Their farm system has grown stronger in recent years and by continuing to add depth in the minors, the A’s should have a brighter future ahead.