As Christian Bethancourt packed his bags and said goodbye to teammates this weekend, it’s fair to wonder how many A’s players thought they might be next.
Bethancourt, who was traded to the Tampa Bay Rays in a deal that brought outfielder Cal Stevenson and right-hander Christian Fernandez to the A’s organization, was the first of a handful of regulars who could be on the move over the next few weeks.
Even if Frankie Montas’ shoulder inflammation limits his trade market, there are a number of other A’s players who might catch the eye of contending clubs. With outfielder Ramón Laureano and catcher Sean Murphy expected to be discussed in potential trades, here are three under-the-radar trade candidates who could be on the move this summer.
Sam Moll
With only 51 games of major league experience, including 32 this season entering play on Monday, Moll is the type of up-and-coming reliever who could be a key arm in the next great A’s bullpen. He’s under team control through 2027 and has struck out 11.1 batters per nine innings this year, which ranks among the game’s elite.
So why would Oakland trade him? At 30, Moll is already past the “prospect” stage of his career and while he’s been the A’s most reliable reliever, it’s hard to envision him making significant improvements in future seasons. With his trade value likely higher now than it will ever be in the future, Oakland could move the left-hander at this year’s deadline to a team in need of bullpen help and pick up a solid prospect or two in return to help strengthen future A’s clubs.
Cole Irvin
With Montas battling an injury and Daulton Jefferies out for the season, the A’s can’t really afford to give up a starting pitcher. Irvin has proven durable and has posted a career-best 3.32 ERA over 15 starts, so trading him now seems particularly foolish for a team that could use Irvin in its rotation over the next few years.
Irvin’s name makes the list, however, because contending teams almost always need starting pitching depth. Clubs that won’t want to part with the assets needed to acquire Montas may check in on Irvin, who probably won’t pitch big innings in the postseason but can pitch five-to-six innings every five days to help a team get to October.
Tony Kemp
It hasn’t been a memorable year for Kemp, who entered Monday with a .205 average and .549 OPS. The Vanderbilt product is a versatile defender and well-liked in the clubhouse, but his at-bats have rarely produced good results.
Perhaps Kemp needs a change of scenery to regain the form he showed last season, when he set a career-high with an .800 OPS. Perhaps the A’s would prefer to move Kemp to give more playing time at second base to prospect Nick Allen, or another young infielder acquired via a trade this summer. Perhaps a trade would benefit both parties.
Source: www.mercurynews.com