3 players Oakland A’s should trade this offseason

The Oakland A’s fire sale is underway. And it is not close to being over.

One can certainly argue that they do not have much left to tear down. After all, they do not have a single guaranteed contract on the books for next year. Only a handful of players are even eligible for arbitration, and of that group, it is likely that Billy McKinney and Deolis Garcia will not be tendered an offer.

Three offseason trade candidates for Oakland A’s

Chances are, that is not going to be enough for John Fisher. He has gone out of his way to pocket every cent possible. If that means trading players while they are eligible for arbitration, no matter where they are in the process, he will likely order such moves be done. Can the A’s have a roster of all minimum salaried players? He’ll likely try.

The Oakland A’s fire sale is not over. Let’s take a look at three players that could find themselves on the trade block this offseason.

Sean Murphy

It is a matter of when, not if, Sean Murphy is traded.

That almost happened at the trade deadline. Both the Guardians and Red Sox thought they were close to a deal for the Oakland A’s Gold Glove catcher. It would not be a surprise at all if those talks resumed once transactions were allowed once again during the offseason.

Murphy is easily the A’s best trade chip. He is not just a Gold Glove caliber catcher, but he can hit for power and has drastically improved his approach at the plate this season. His 121 OPS+ leads the A’s, as do his 37 doubles, and he is second on the team with 18 homers. Add in the fact that he is just entering arbitration and Murphy would be the perfect piece for a team looking for a long term answer behind the plate.

His availability also highlights one strength of the A’s. Shea Langeliers has nothing else to prove in the minors and is ready to prove himself in the majors. Tyler Soderstrom and Daniel Susac are two of the A’s best prospects and both have spent most of their time behind the plate. Moving Murphy to get pieces that the A’s need to emerge from the rebuild makes sense.

The Oakland A’s are going to trade Sean Murphy this offseason. The Red Sox, Guardians, and Marlins could be amongst the favorites.

Ramon Laureano

It was a rough season for Ramon Laureano.

The Oakland A’s outfielder missed the first few weeks of the season as he finished serving his 80 game suspension for failing a PED test in 2021. He never really seemed to get into a groove when he came back, missing time due to injuries and being shuffled between right and center. His season came to an end in the middle of September as he was placed on the Injured List with a strained hamstring.

Those starts and stops led to a disappointing performance at the plate. Laureano posted a lackluster .211/.287/.376 batting line with 13 homers and 18 doubles in his 383 plate appearances while stealing 11 bases.

However, even with that performance, Laureano showed why teams would be interested in his services. He can provide some power and speed in the lineup, his solid all around game slotting well in one of the top two spots in a batting order. Add in his typically strong defense, and Laureano is the perfect option for teams in need of help in center.

Ramon Laureano did not have a great 2022 campaign. Despite those issues, he would draw plenty of attention on the trade front. The Marlins, Cubs, and Giants could all be options for his services.