Zach Logue was a lottery ticket for the Oakland A’s, someone that they were hoping could turn into far more than his prospect stature.
It was easy to see why based on his minor league numbers. Logue had posted impressive strikeout and walk rates in the minors, especially in 2021. Even if he was at the fringes of the Blue Jays top 30 prospect lists, his performance in the minors was good enough where the A’s wanted him as part of the return for Matt Chapman.
Zach Logue breakout may happen with Detroit Tigers instead
Instead, Logue was a disaster during his year in the A’s system. He posted a 6.79 ERA and a 1.544 WHiP during his 57 major league innings, striking out 42 batters with 20 walks. As mediocre as those numbers were, they were even better than his performance in Triple-A. It was not much of a surprise that the A’s moved on after just one year, designating him for assignment to open a roster spot for Drew Rucinski.
If Logue is going to live up to his minor league performance prior to 2022, it will be elsewhere. He was claimed off of waivers by the Tigers on Friday as they look to improve their rotation depth. With the multitude of injuries and off the field problems the Tigers had with their pitching staff, it makes sense to add as much depth as possible.
But this is also another mark against the A’s recent trades. The A’s received Logue, Kevin Smith, Kirby Snead, and Gunnar Hoglund for Matt Chapman, a deal that already looks regrettable. Smith was a disaster last season and may have already seen his time come and go with the signing of Jace Peterson and the ascension of Zack Gelof. Snead is a forgettable middle reliever type that is best suited as a depth piece. It will come down to whether or not Hoglund can be a top of the rotation arm as to whether or not the A’s salvage anything from this deal.
The Matt Chapman trade has been a disaster for the Oakland A’s. Losing Zach Logue on waivers only makes the return even worse.