With the July 31 trade deadline fast approaching, trades and roster shakeups are inevitable, and the biggest question for all 30 teams is whether to be buyers or sellers. For the Athletics, particularly, buying is out of the question, as it doesn’t fit with organizational philosophy, nor does it make sense with where the team is in the standings.
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Athletics Trade Candidates
The real question for the Athletics is who to trade away, and what prospects already in the organization are ready to contribute to the team’s future success. The trick of such deals is to keep core pieces: players that are contributors who are already under contract beyond the rest of this season. Such players for the A’s include Brent Rooker, Jacob Wilson, Lawrence Butler, Nick Kurtz.
With these players and presumably others pretty safe from trade talk, the question becomes,r who is the subject of trade talks for the A’s?
A few that have floated as possible trade candidates are Luis Urias and Luis Severino. The veteran infielder Urias, currently with a .237 average, is on such an expiring contract. A relatively cheap utility infielder who can play the ultra-important defensive position of third base, Urias could easily be a part of a win-win deal. Another name central to trade discussions is Severino. Though not a “rental” and thus a less hefty trade chip, veteran starter could still be a reliable back-of-the-rotation starter.
Other “rental” trade candidates include Gio Urshela and Miguel Andujar. Like Urias, the expiring contracts of the two represent, if traded, value for the Athletics while simultaneously opening roster spots for prospects.
While the Athletics aren’t in a spot to make a big splash by acquiring a star, some addition by subtraction is possible, and would free up roster spots for some of the A’s top prospects.
