3 under the radar trade candidates on Oakland A's

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It is not a secret that the Oakland A’s are going to sell. That has been clear since before the lockout, when ownership had a stated intention of slashing payroll down to approximately $50 million. In that case, mission accomplished.

There are more dominos to fall. The A’s have, as expected, been a disaster on the diamond this season. Their .337 winning percentage entering Wednesday was the worst in the majors. The fire sale is not even close to being over.

Three under the radar trade candidates on Oakland A’s

The A’s have several obvious trade candidates. Frankie Montas is as good as gone if he is healthy. Ramon Laureano, Chad Pinder, and several other players are going to receive plenty of interest. Even the likes of Paul Blackburn and Sean Murphy, who have years of team control left, could be on the move. At the same time, there could be several under the radar players that leave Oakland behind.

The ‘For Sale’ sign is still up for the Oakland A’s. Let’s look at three under the radar players that could be moved at the trade deadline.

Stephen Vogt

It would not be a surprise for the Oakland A’s to get a few calls about their catchers. The surprise might be that Stephen Vogt could be a trade candidate.

Backup catchers are always in high demand. Teams look for those veteran backstops that have been through the playoff battles before and can step in behind the plate once or twice a week. If they have some pop or value defensively, so much the better.

Vogt may not be an All Star caliber player any longer, but he still has some thunder in his bat. Despite his 78 OPS+, he has four homers in his 66 plate appearances this season. That power could make him an intriguing option off the bench as a pinch hitter or for a team looking for a bit more production from their backup catcher down the stretch.

It also helps that Vogt will not cost much. A Player to be Named Later of cash considerations could be enough to land his services. Such a move would open a spot on the roster for another player who could be a part of the Oakland A’s future, which the 37 year old Vogt is not.

Stephen Vogt could still help a team in the playoff hunt. His time in Oakland could be running short.

Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports /

Elvis Andrus

This is entirely contingent on the Oakland A’s and New York Mets making another trade.

The Mets have indicated that they are not willing to part with any of their top prospects to improve their roster. They do, however, have Steve Cohen’s bank account and a willingness to take on bad contracts in order to make a deal happen.

Such would be the case with Elvis Andrus. While he could be a viable trade candidate in his own right, there is a matter of his vesting option. Should Andrus receive 550 plate appearances this year, a $15 million player option for 2023 would be triggered. There is no question that he would opt in to that salary for 2023 as he would not receive anything close to that on the open market.

As it currently stands, Andrus will come close to reaching that threshold. He is on pace for approximately 540 plate appearances heading into Wednesday, putting him right on the cusp of that mark. While his performance this year – a 93 OPS+ with five homers and 19 doubles heading into Wednesday – could be enough to warrant a trade on its own, the A’s would likely have to pick up some of his salary should he reach that vesting option. If the Mets want to take on that salary, it would save the A’s enough money that they could be willing to take a lesser package.

Elvis Andrus may be untradeable because of his vesting option. But there is always a chance when a team is willing to take on a bad contact to make a deal happen.

Lou Trivino

At this point, Oakland A’s fans just want Lou Trivino off the roster. They could get their wish.

After starting the year as the A’s closer, and quickly losing his job due to ineffectiveness and bout of Covid, Trivino is back in that role. It is also a matter of the A’s not having many other options, as A.J. Puk imploded in his opportunity with Dany Jimenez on the Injured List.

His numbers are hardly impressive either. Trivino has posted a 6.94 ERA and a 2.014 WHiP in his 23.1 innings and those numbers are an improvement over what he had done earlier in the season. Teams would not be lining up to bring anyone on board with those numbers.

But there are other factors. Trivino has a 2.90 FIP, the best of his career. He has also been incredibly unlucky as opponents have a .485 batting average on balls in play against him. Add in his experience as a closer and his remaining years of team control, it is possible that teams would consider him to be a potential lottery ticket that could pay off.

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Lou Trivino is not someone that would excite any fanbase. He could, however, be on the move soon.

3 under the radar trade candidates on Oakland A’s

Three under the radar trade candidates on Oakland A’s

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