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Elvis Andrus likely is not going anywhere

By David Hill

Sep 8, 2021; Oakland, California, USA; Oakland Athletics shortstop Elvis Andrus (17) during the third inning against the Chicago White Sox at RingCentral Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Stan Szeto-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 8, 2021; Oakland, California, USA; Oakland Athletics shortstop Elvis Andrus (17) during the third inning against the Chicago White Sox at RingCentral Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Stan Szeto-USA TODAY Sports /
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It is no secret that the Oakland A’s would love to rid themselves of Elvis Andrus‘ contract. The A’s are looking to slash as much payroll as possible, and getting rid of Andrus would be a major help. Even with the Rangers paying $7.25 million of his $14.25 million salary in 2022, he is still a significant portion of their budget.

In theory, the A’s could trade Andrus to a team looking for a stopgap at short. They would likely need to add him in a trade for a far more attractive piece, but it is possible to get out from under that deal. There are plenty of teams in need of help at short, and Andrus is at least a major league veteran who can provide leadership.

Elvis Andrus will be with the Oakland A’s on Opening Day

But that is about all he provides at this point. Andrus has not been even close to a league average hitter since 2017. That continued to be the case last year as he produced a .243/.294/.320 batting line in his 541 plate appearances, hitting 25 doubles and stealing 12 bases. Add in the ten runs he cost the A’s defensively, along with his declining glove, and he is just a body at the position.

Andrus’ lack of production is not the only roadblock to a trade. He also has a vesting option for next year that will pay him $15 million if he reaches 550 plate appearances in the coming year. Although there is a potential for games to be lost due to ongoing labor issues, Andrus’ plate appearance mark will be adjusted for the games that are scheduled.

Even if a team was willing to take all of that on, there are other issues. Andrus also has a no-trade clause that was triggered when he was traded to the A’s. He has the power to veto any deal that would send him elsewhere. While he may not want to be part of a rebuilding roster, he is likely to get plenty of playing time in Oakland.

Essentially, there are a lot of obstacles to a potential deal. Those issues may be worth it if his mediocre production in 2021 was an aberration but that is clearly not the case. It is difficult to imagine any team risking that much money for Andrus, even if they were to get one of the A’s pitchers or another bat in a deal.

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The Oakland A’s would love to get rid of Elvis Andrus’ contract. Given how many obstacles there are going to be to a deal, it just will not happen.