Oakland A’s outfield picture murkier with Seth Brown rumors

The Oakland A’s already have a problem in the outfield based on their depth chart – Seth Brown is listed as their starting first baseman, right fielder, and left fielder.

That may not be the case for long. MLB Trade Rumors has speculated that Brown could end up on the trade block as a possible sell high candidate to teams looking for help in the outfield or at first.

Trading Seth Brown could make sense for Oakland A’s

Such a move would make sense in a vacuum. Brown did not establish himself as an every day major league presence until he was 28 years old in 2021. While he did hit 20 homers in his 307 plate appearances, his strikeouts led to a disappointing .214/.274/.480 batting line. However, his .230 batting average on balls in play made it seem as though brighter days would be ahead.

That was the case in 2022. Brown posted a solid .230/.305/.444 batting line with 25 homers and 26 doubles in his 555 plate appearances while improving his strikeout and walk rates. While his batting line may not seem impressive, he also improved his performance in a down year for offense as a whole while posting a 116 OPS+. His performance is certainly noteworthy.

But it also came in a season where Brown turned 30 years old. Although he is still under team control for four more years, his age could keep him from being a part of the A’s next core. It would make sense to explore a deal for Brown, especially after his solid showing in 2022, based on those reasons.

The problem is that the A’s do not have the talent to afford to trade Brown. They are still in their rebuilding process and have been searching for major league caliber options. The outfield is still a bit of a mess. Trading Brown could make sense, but that may have to wait until the trade deadline or next offseason.

There is some speculation that the Oakland A’s could trade Seth Brown. Such a move would make sense, but this is not the time.