Oakland A’s: 3 prospects that could be traded

Daulton Jefferies

There was a time when Daulton Jefferies appeared to be the next man up for the Oakland A’s. However, injuries, as well as James Kaprielian‘s solid showing in the majors, have pushed him aside.

At this point, Jefferies is essentially major league ready. He is healthy once more, and while his 5.00 ERA in Triple-A is not exactly stellar, he has pitched better than that number would indicate. Jefferies also pitches in an extremely offense friendly environment, making his ERA somewhat less important.

For a team in need of help in the rotation, Jefferies would be someone that could plug in immediately. His excellent command helps his stuff play up, and his plus changeup makes the lack of velocity on his fastball less important. He also has a cutter and slider that flash above average, making him an intriguing pitcher.

The problem is that he seems to have missed his chance in Oakland. He was roughed up in his major league debut, and with other pitchers finding success in the majors, he is stuck in Triple-A. The A’s would also prefer to bring Jesus Luzardo back to Oakland before Jefferies, with the righty having fallen down the organizational depth chart.

Daulton Jefferies is the type of pitcher that could help a major league rotation right now. He just does not have an opening with the Oakland A’s.