The curious offseason of the Oakland Athletics continues with general manager Billy Beane picking up one of the more coveted players on the trade market in Ben Zobrist. The Nationals, Giants and Cubs had been rumored to be pursuing the 33-year-old super-utilityman, but it’s the A’s swooping in with a January surprise.
According to the San Francisco Chronicle‘s Susan Slusser, Zobrist and shortstop Yunel Escobar are on their way to Oakland. Going to the Tampa Bay Rays in exchange are catcher John Jaso, Class A shortstop Daniel Robertson and outfielder Boog Powell.
Last season with the Rays, Zobrist hit .272 with a .749 OPS, 34 doubles, 10 home runs, 52 RBI and 10 stolen bases. He played second base, shortstop and all three outfield spots for Tampa Bay, providing above-average defense at every position (though some samples were limited), according to advanced metrics. Escobar batted .258 with a .664 OPS, seven homers and 39 RBI. He had a terrible season defensively, costing his team 17 runs more than an average shortstop while being credited with -24 Defensive Runs Saved.
The A’s appeared to be in the midst of a rebuild — or at the very least, a significant roster overhaul — trading third baseman Josh Donaldson, pitcher Jeff Samardzija, outfielder Brandon Moss and catcher Derek Norris. Yet Beane has now assembled a middle infield that last season’s disappointing club lacked with Zobrist and Escobar, along with Marcus Semien, who came over to Oakland in the Samardzija deal. If the A’s were truly rebuilding, this isn’t the sort of deal they would make.
Actually, the entire Oakland infield will be new this season. Zobrist is expected to be the starting second baseman, with Escobar at shortstop and Semien playing a utility infield role. Brett Lawrie will be at third base, with Ike Davis at first.
The A’s have also traded their two top shortstop prospects during the past year, with Addison Russell going to the Cubs when Samardzija was originally acquired. As Slusser points out, that now makes Single-A infielder Franklin Barreto — picked up from Toronto in the Donaldson trade — Oakland’s apparent shortstop of the future.
Zobrist can be a free agent following this season and will be paid $7.5 million as the Rays picked up his 2015 club option. Escobar is under contract for two more years at a combined $13 million. He has a $7 million club option for 2017 versus a $1 million buyout. Oakland’s typical reluctance to add payroll, along with the roster overhaul, is already leading to speculation that Beane may look to flip Zobrist and/or Escobar at the July trade deadline if the A’s aren’t in contention.
The Rays shed further payroll in this deal (Slusser reports Oakland is also sending cash to Tampa Bay) and pick up some valued prospects. Jaso is in his final year of arbitration eligibility, projected to earn $3.3 million this year by MLB Trade Rumors. Limited to 99 games because of a lingering concussion, he hit .264 with a .767 OPS, nine homers and 40 RBI. As a left-handed batter, he pairs nicely with Rene Rivera at catcher.
And if you were scratching your head over the Rays signing free agent infielder Asdrubal Cabrera last week, that transaction now makes much more sense as the lineup has an opening for him at shortstop. (Signing Cabrera was seen as a precursor to trading Zobrist, however.) Cabrera finalized his deal with Tampa Bay on Friday, signing a one-year, $7.5 million contract.
Robertson was considered Oakland’s top prospect by Baseball America, hitting .310 with an .873 OPS, 15 home runs and 60 RBI with Advanced Single-A Stockton last season. Powell was ranked No. 11 in the organization by MLB.com, batting .343 with an .886 OPS, 10 doubles, five triples and 16 stolen bases between low Class A Beloit and Stockton.
