3 Oakland A’s that should be gone after trade deadline

Stephen Piscotty

It is going to be far more difficult for the Oakland A’s to trade Stephen Piscotty. After all, he has barely played this year due to a strained calf and battling COVID.

Piscotty has been surprisingly solid when he has taken the diamond. He had produced a respectable .225/.340/.325 batting line with a double and a homer while stealing two bases in his 47 plate appearances. He was drawing walks and making solid contact, his 101 OPS+ his best mark since 2018.

It is possible that a team would have some interest in him at the deadline provided that he is healthy. For all of his injury woes and his struggles over the years, he has hit lefties fairly well. At worst, a team could look at him as a platoon option in the outfield or designated hitter while also serving as a possible pinch hitter.

Meanwhile, he is not someone that has a future with the A’s. They are going to decline his option for 2023, paying the $1 million buyout instead of the $15 million he would be otherwise due. Even if the A’s do not have much that could make a major league impact in the outfield at the upper levels, they may as well give those players a look.

Stephen Piscotty has been solid when he has been healthy this year. The problem is that he just does not have a future with the Oakland A’s.