Oakland A's Trade Rumors: 5 Deadline Deals to Push the A's to Contention
Trade Rumors are always entertaining.
However, we are a bit too early in the season for many of these so called rumors to have any legitimacy to them.
Regardless, most teams are in need of an upgrade at one position or another and the Oakland Athletics are certainly no exception to this rule.
The A's offense is stagnant. They have only one consistent run producer in their lineup, that being Josh Willingham who has driven in 37 runs with 10 home runs through June 1st.
The A's need hitting, period. All of these proposed trades are for power hitters. I calculated that the A's would prefer to deal minor league players primarily and I warn you some of these trades might appear wildly unfair, but I attempted to balance prospects with major league talent returned, while factoring in a players existing contract.
With that brief disclaimer out of the way, lets look at five trades that could boost the A's in a 2011 postseason run.
Mets Trade David Wright to A's for Tyson Ross, Kevin Kouzmanoff, and Eric Sogard
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This one's been beaten to death, I know.
I'm gonna credit/blame fellow A's bleacher report writer Brandon McClintock for that.
The Mets recently stated that Wright is on the trading block, and his contract is costly, but acceptable for the A's and their payroll. Wright is under contract through next season with an option for 2013. He will average around 15 million per year, which is high, obviously, but the A's have room in payroll if they wish.
As for the Mets return. Stating someone is on the trading block doesn't exactly raise one's value. They are obviously trying to trim payroll so they would prefer players under team control with manageable salaries.
Tyson Ross would be the big score for the Mets, Kouzmanoff is the stopgap third baseman, and Sogard is the mid-level prospect if and when Reyes departs. Ross would slot nicely into the Mets' rotation once he returns from injury.
Until we see some trades this year, it will be difficult to gauge whether or not it will be a buyers or sellers market in 2011.
Orioles Trade Vladimir Guerrero to A's for Jai Miller and Fautino De Los Santos
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The Orioles are a talented young team, but they won't be competing for the playoffs this year in the crowded AL East.
Guerrero is not in the club's future and he would therefore appear to be available as a rental for the remainder of the season. If he succeeds, give him an extension, if he doesn't, he'll probably still be worth a first round pick in free agency compensation.
The Orioles need more pitching, so Fautino De Los Santos would appear to fit the bill. He projects as a late inning reliever and the Orioles are currently without a true closer of the future. Jai Miller would be another outfielder prospect who could be a solid contributor on the major league level. He simply hasn't got a large chance yet to perform.
I'm not sure if this would solve all of the A's offensive problems, far from it probably, however it would boost their sagging numbers from the DH position.
Cubs Trade Aramis Ramirez to A's for Kevin Kouzmanoff and Josh Outman
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The Cubs have a massive payroll, and they haven't spent well.
Unloading Aramis Ramirez would certainly boost their future payroll numbers. The A's could use this as an advantage in negotiations.
In order to avoid a simple rental, they could agree on picking up the mutual option with some kind of cash coming from the Cubs to cover lets say 30 percent of next year's salary.
Kouzmanoff would get the chance to escape back to the National League and Josh Outman would give the Cubs a quality young starter with a bright future.
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Royals Trade Alex Gordon to A's for Michael Taylor, and Tyson Ross
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This is the one I personally like best.
Alex Gordon has had a very impressive year so far with seven home runs and 30 RBI's with a .285 batting average. I think he is ready to take the next step and is still under club control for a few more years.
Now, the Royals are loaded with young talent, why would they want to unload some of it?
The A's would need to pay, big time. But it might be worth it. Tyson Ross is due off the disabled list soon and before his injury, he was pitching out of his mind. He is under club control for a few more years and could easily be the third or even the second best pitcher in the Royals rotation.
Michael Taylor is having a very good year at AAA Sacramento and might, might be on his way to being the prospect the A's thought he would be when he was acquired.
Gordon would take up an outfield spot and probably push someone like Taylor back further in the depth chart. Moving to KC would give Taylor a chance to play sooner than later.
Mets Trade Carlos Beltran to A's for Travis Banwart and Matt Carson
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I see the A's really going strong for Carlos Beltran.
He is going to be moved by the Mets, they are not going to resign him and probably will look to get something for him before season's end.
He's not going to cost a team a huge amount because of those reasons.
The A's would be smart to move for him sooner than later so they can set the price. The Mets are likely to want major league or close to major league level pitching. Travis Banwart is pitching very well at Sacramento this year and given the A's depth, he is certainly expendable. His name could be substituted for Godfrey, Outman or Moscoso if the Mets see fit.
Beltran, if he performs could get an extension albeit at a lower price, if he performs.
Carson is probably closer to a AAAA outfielder than an MLB one, but he hasn't gotten the chance at the majors yet to show his true abilities. Mets fans might be irate that I'm devaluing Beltran, he's had a good year, but his contract situation isn't conducive to a blockbuster haul of prospects.
Again, this trade seems to be most probable given the A's and their apparent trade prospects.
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