Players the Oakland Athletics Could Move at the Trade Deadline
Which players could the A's push into the market by August 1?
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Pregame Pepper
Did you know…
. . . As of July 23, each one of the division leaders had a player that had either been traded to them by the A’s in the last year (Braves - Sean Murphy, Brewers - Joel Payamps, Orioles - Cole Irvin) or initially debuted with Oakland (Twins - Sonny Gray, Rangers - Marcus Semien, Dodgers - Max Muncy).
. . . Oakland utilityman Jace Peterson has played for three of the division leaders as of Sunday - Atlanta, Milwaukee, and Baltimore.
Leading Off
Four A’s the Team Could Trade at the Deadline
By Rich Campbell
Heading into Sunday’s game with the Houston Astros, the Oakland Athletics record stood as 28-73, the worst in baseball. Could a team that bad, winning just 27 percent of its games, have any spare parts that might appeal to contenders?
As the trade deadline approaches, here is a look at some players who might be lucky enough to go from the worst team to a World Series contender in the next week:
Tony Kemp (.210/.301/.302)
On the surface Kemp’s offensive numbers are anemic. But dig a little deeper and Kemp’s performance looks a lot better. Since June 1, Kemp’s slash line is an impressive .283/.377/.425 with a wRC+ of 133 (100 is the league average). Add in nine stolen bases in that same period plus the flexibility to play second base and left field, and it is a recipe for an ideal left-handed bench player on a title contender.
The 31-year-old Kemp is also a great clubhouse guy, by reputation. He is a free agent at the end of the year and makes $3.75 million this year, so he is an inexpensive short-term rental for an acquiring team. He is unlikely to stay in Oakland if not dealt, so flipping him now makes a lot of sense for the A’s.
Seth Brown (.198/.277/.396)
Another Athletic who has crummy season-long numbers. Again, using a June 1 starting point improves Brown’s status with a slash of .207/.294/.413 resulting in a 101 wRC+ in the last two months. He also falls into the versatile player category, with the ability to play first base and corner outfield spots. Brown could be viewed as a left-handed bench piece with pop – he hit 25 homers in 2022.
Like Kemp, Brown is 31 years old, but his contract status is different. A team acquiring Brown would control him for the next three seasons, as he has three arbitration-eligible seasons before free agency.
Jace Peterson (.218/.310/.327)
Again, versatility is Peterson’s calling card, as he has manned second and third base for the Green and Gold this year and also has played 980 innings in the outfield in his career. His slash since June 1 is .252/.338/.391, with 110 RC+ to his credit.
The 33-year-old veteran makes a reasonable $4.5 million this year and is also signed for next year at $5 million.
Trevor May (2-4, 4.73 ERA, 9 saves)
Trevor May is another 33-year-old who was signed by Oakland in the offseason, likely with the hope of flipping him at the deadline. After getting off to a terrible start, May has been more effective, posting a 2.87 ERA and collecting all nine of his saves in 17 appearances across June and July.
The veteran is the A’s highest-paid player at $7 million, so ownership would likely love to save the $2 million-plus that he will make in August and September. May is a free agent after this season.
So, as the next generation has been joining the team since the All-Star break - Zack Gelof (23), Tyler Soderstrom (21), Jordan Diaz (22), Freddy Tarnok (24) – clearing some roster spots and playing time for more additions makes sense. While dealing any of the veterans mentioned above will not bring back coveted high-end talent, acquiring minor league lottery tickets could pay off down the line.
Rich Campbell is a Marketing Professor at Sonoma State University by day and A’s fan by night. He has previously been a sports business contributor at Forbes.com and his academic writing has appeared in Sport Marketing Quarterly. You can find him on Twitter @RichCampbellPhD.
Extra Innings
While the Athletics have the league’s worst record entering Sunday’s action, they were only 1/2 game worse than the Kansas City Royals. Both teams are on pace for 117 losses.
The last team to lose more than 115 games in a season was the 2003 Detroit Tigers team that lost 119.
Unlike those Tigers, however, neither the A’s nor Royals are guaranteed the first selection in the 2024 draft, due to the draft lottery. This season, the Washington Nationals, who finished 2022 with the worst record at 55-107, and the A’s, who finished 2022 with the second-worst record at 60-102, selected second (Washington) and sixth (Oakland).