8:15pm: More on the A’s outfield from Slusser, who reports that they’re also interested in one of Piscotty’s teammates, Grichuk, as well as the Reds’ Adam Duvall and the Rays’ Steven Souza Jr. As 30-home run hitters in 2017, Duvall and Souza would provide right-handed punch to the A’s lineup if acquired. They’re also controllable for the next few seasons – Duvall’s under wraps through 2021, including one pre-arbitration year, while Souza’s set to play his first of three arb-eligible campaigns in 2018. He’s projected to earn a very affordable $3.6MM. Grichuk’s another powerful righty entering his first of three arb years, though he didn’t fare as well as Duvall or Souza in 2017.
Meanwhile, the A’s seem uninterested in moving one of their top offensive players, left fielder/designated hitter Khris Davis, per Slusser. They’ve spurned the Red Sox and other teams that have inquired about Davis this winter.
1:04am: The Athletics continue to have interest in the Cardinals’ Stephen Piscotty, as Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle recently reported and MLB.com’s Jane Lee discusses in a video link. Oakland has been on the hunt this winter for right-handed hitting outfield help.
A previous connection between Piscotty and the A’s surfaced in the aftermath of the trade deadline, as the Cardinals reportedly floated an offer of Piscotty and either Luke Weaver or Jack Flaherty to Oakland in exchange for Sonny Gray. Those talks never really got off the ground, however, and the A’s subsequently dealt Gray to the Yankees.
As Lee mentions in the video, “the A’s have interest in a ton of outfielders right now,” with the team particularly focused on right-handed bats who are controllable, so the A’s aren’t only looking at veteran options. The Athletics are clearly willing to shop near the top of the trade market, however, as such names as Avisail Garcia of the White Sox and Marlins outfielders Marcell Ozuna and Christian Yelich (a left-handed hitter) have already been reported as landing on Oakland’s radar in talks.
Piscotty wouldn’t cost as much in a deal as those aforementioned names, given how he struggled in 2017. After signing a six-year, $33.5MM extension with the Cardinals in April, Piscotty went from building block to potentially expendable piece by hitting just .235/.342/.367 with nine homers over 401 plate appearances. Groin and hamstring injuries didn’t help his cause, and Piscotty was even demoted to Triple-A in August for a brief spell.
Still, Piscotty posted strong numbers in his first two big league seasons, he doesn’t turn 27 until January, and the Cards are less than a year removed from locking him up on what could still be a team-friendly extension. Under normal circumstances, St. Louis wouldn’t be looking to deal a player like Piscotty (especially when his trade value has been lowered), though the club must create room within a crowded outfield picture. Dexter Fowler and Tommy Pham locked into everyday outfield spots next year, leaving just one corner spot for Piscotty, Randal Grichuk, and prospects Magneuris Sierra, Tyler O’Neill, and Harrison Bader. The Cards may also add another everyday outfielder — they’ve also been linked to Ozuna and Yelich in trade speculation, and J.D. Martinez is a possibility for a Cardinals lineup looking for a big bat after missing out on Giancarlo Stanton.
This surplus makes St. Louis a logical trade partner for an Oakland team that is short on established outfielders. Boog Powell and top prospect Dustin Fowler are the top candidates for center field, while Matt Joyce, Jake Smolinski, Chad Pinder and Mark Canha will be in the mix for playing time in the corners. Piscotty would step into one of those corner spots for everyday duty right away, and the $30.5MM owed to him over the next five years (counting a $1MM buyout of his $15MM club option for 2023) is a palatable price tag even for a smaller-market team like the A’s.
Whats the return though?
Probably some minor league talent……future corner IF. He won’t fetch much of a return.
Sad state of affairs in STL.
If Piscotty is cheap, go for it. But he won’t be.
I think he had deep personal issues at home this year. He has a good arm in the outfield.
His mother was diagnosed with ALS (Lou Gehrig’s Disease).
He’s from the Oakland area, family life could be better being closer. I’d take Liam Hendriks and a couple minor league. Cards need relief help, need to move an OF, and are probably going to move some of their prospects in another trade.
Hendricks PLUS 2 prospects???
Doubtful the Cards get that much for him……..and I’m a Cards Fan.
Just being realistic here.
Didn’t say prospects. Leake and Adams We’re traded for low level lottery tickets and the Cardinals paid all of Adams and threw in money for Leake. Acquired Nicasiao for a once highly thought of middle IF who’s been hurt. If Oakland takes Piscotty’s and the contract and the Cardinals get Hendricks, who is comparable to Nicasio, and 1-2 lower level guys then i think it’s pretty fair. 1 if he’s a little better, 2 if they are lottery picks. But I don’t expect top 30 with Hendriks and Oak taking on the contract at all.
I don’t think the Cardinals would want a major league piece back, honestly. One of the big motives behind the Cardinals trading some of their young outfielders is to reduce the clutter on the 25 and 40 mans in order to be able to be aggressive this winter.
Exactly right, smelliot00. For whatever reason Cardinals fans in this thread are thinking Piscotty’s talent level supersedes his contract, which last year, it did not, therefore, his trade value is in the gutter.
As an A’s fan I’d do that. A’s have bolstered their pen so Hendricks can certainly be had.
A’s MiLB strength is the sheer quantity of good talent, so a “needs for needs” trade would match up well.
Yes, he’s a local kid from Danville which is about 25 min from Oakland in “normal” traffic. His production was way down in 2017 so I am curious if Cards fans can shed some light on this.
Everything went wrong for him. Made major swing adjustments in 2015 which lead to 22 HR in 2016, out of a guy who was all line drives with little lift in the minors, but much higher K. Cardinals tried to make more tweeks prior to last season. Slow start, pulled groin, mother diagnosed with ALS and time away plus the stress of it, pulled hamstring, never got any traction.
It’s going to be, at MOST, Jesse Hahn for Piscotty straight up with Oakland taking on all the money. If not Hahn, then two no-name teenage prospects. Piscotty has very little value and the team has very little leverage. If they can get out from his money then that’s a win for them no matter what they get back.
Hendriks is a good guy to start a trade like this. Oakland has a surplus of RH relievers and Liam wasn’t that good for the A’s. But he has the potential to do much better and St. Louis is a good place for him. Still, Oakland needs to add something to make this deal happen. That could be 2 prospects, but not the top ones. Maybe if the Cardinals think they can fix Hahn, add him to the deal and that lowers the prospect cost.
This is absolutely never happening. Piscotty has very little trade value due to his money. You need to reel in your want list. If the Cards get out from Piscotty’s money then they are going to do as well as they can do.
What do you mean by “this is never happening!” Liam is a fine 6th/7th inning guy and has that “Aussie Bulldog” mentality which I love. However, let’s not make it out like he’s elite.
Didn’t realize Piscotty signed for Stanton money. 6 Mill a year for 5 years is my no means a salary dump or an albatross contract. His value may not be where it was a year or two ago but let’s relax on the “Piscotty money” talk lmao
I like the way Piscotty plays the game and believe last year’s performance was just a combination of injuries and the emotion of knowing that his mother was diagnosed with ALS. Love to see him on Dodgers, perhaps for BP arm (Josh Fields) and a young infield prospect like Omar Estevez?
The Cards match up well with the O’s in a Piscotty trade. O’s need a corner outfielder with team control. Cards need relief pitching. Piscotty plus Gomber for Givens makes sense for both sides
Piscotty=Giants
I’m a big Piscotty fan, but I really think they should make this trade happen regardless of the return. Get him closer to home so he can spend more time with his family. I’ll miss him and it’s selling low on a player I really like, but I just feel like it’s the right thing to do.
this is something i love about the cardinals organization…They will sell low on a player because they know he has family issues and they want to help him out. If it wasn’t for that they would hold on to him till at least he raises his trade value
I doubt that. The Cards are clearly trying to upgrade at the position, squeezing Piscotty out. It has nothing to do with them trying to do a guy a solid. Baseball is business.
When is Fowler going to recover?
He was off crutches before the end of the season and is presumably ramping up his rehab towards ST.
I can see him going to the West Coast to be closer to his mom who has ALS. Clearly it affected his season. I know what it’s like to have a sick mother and it’s very stressful
Why?
We may never be truly certain.
Some sort of combination of Piscotty and prospects for AJ Puk would be logical. The Cardinals have a serious lack of left handed pitching depth.
You aren’t prying Puk from Beane or Forst.
Nope, not logical at all. Puk is maybe the best LH SP in the minors. He probably will sniff the bigs in 2018. None of the Cardinals OF is even remotely worth Puk and that’s not a slight on them, they’re good. The A’s already know the Cardinals want to trade Piscotty back to the Bay, so they know there’s only one other team competing with them for Piscotty, and the Giants might go after JD Martinez so the A’s really have the upper hand in a trade. Piscotty was bad last year too and has money attached to him, so, his trade value is NOT what you are all saying it is. It’s pretty much nothing. It definitely is not worth a top 100 prospect or even anyone from the A’s top 20 prospects.
We get it. You think he has no value…maybe back it up with numbers or something other than basically calling Piscotty worthless to any team.
Send Grichuk to the A’s for 3 pennies.
While his mother gets all the attention, he also re-did his swing and it really screwed him up.
A change of scenery combined with a competent hitting coach could restore his potential
Facts
Khris Davis in Fenway park… Green Monster is going to file for abuse
I think it would be really great if the Rangers could make a deal with these guys. It would be a welcome upgrade for them
Avi Garcia for- Austin beck, grant Holmes and maybe Santis Sanchez ??
Kris Davis’s offensive numbers are alot like those of Jay Bruce. Not much of an average but hit a lot of home runs.
Yankees got an outfielder or 2 to shop. Frazier for Chapman? Frazier for Manaea and Cotton. Frazier for Semian and Cotton? Ellsbury for 2 A bums?
Frazier and Judge for Chapman. Since we’re being ridiculous.
Piscotty had a sophmore slump and off field issues, hopefully working with willie McGee this year helps him become Yelich lite. Grichuck needs to go and would take back bullpen or infield depth just to kiss him goodbye.
Billy Bean brilliantly runs the A’s like a Chop Shop, grabs and moves pieces here and there but it’s got to be tough working like that over the long haul .
So why is this article linked to the Red Sox? Maybe I missed something, but after reading thru it several times, I don’t find anything.