Oakland A's determined to hold on to Ramon Laureano

Despite getting rid of virtually any major league caliber talent on their roster, the Oakland A’s have decided to retain Ramon Laureano.

That has been the case despite any trade talks. According to Dan Hayes from The Athletic, the Twins had called about Laureano’s availability, only for the A’s to be lukewarm at best about the possibility of sending him elsewhere.

Oakland A’s face double edged sword with Ramon Laureano

The decision to keep Laureano would appear to be a strange one. He is in the midst of his arbitration years and the A’s had been looking to slash payroll as much as possible before their recent spending spree. It is fair to wonder how much longer the A’s will be willing to pay to keep Laureano around.

At the same time, there are numerous teams looking for help in the outfield. Laureano had been a solid center fielder in the recent past, and with teams such as the Marlins, Guardians, Rays, and others in need of help in the middle of their outfield, there would be a large market for his services.

But there is the question of whether or not the A’s would be selling low. Laureano never got on track last season as he missed the beginning of the year due to his PED suspension and battled injuries when he returned. Those issues helped lead to a disappointing .211/.287/.376 batting line with 13 homers and 18 doubles in his 383 plate appearances.

It is possible that the A’s will trade Laureano at some point. If he is able to get off to a hot start and put up his typically solid production, his value will improve. Maybe then the A’s will look to make a deal and continue to load up on prospects. But he will need to return to form first.

Although the Oakland A’s have been trading anyone making a respectable amount of money, Ramon Laureano has stayed put. That is not changing any time soon.