6:14pm: As of now, the Athletics are uninterested in trading Pinder, Slusser tweets.
3:24am: Oakland Athletics utility man Chad Pinder is drawing trade interest around the league, per MLB Network Insider Jon Heyman. Pinder, 28 in March, was a second round draft choice of the A’s in 2013 out of Virginia Tech. He’s been a role player for Bob Melvin’s A’s in each of the last three seasons, though he saw more playing time than ever last season.
It’s understandable that Pinder would attract trade inquiries, as he’s the type of player managers love because of his versatility. While making appearances at every position besides pitcher and catcher in each of the last two seasons, he truly has proven comfortable everywhere, with left field garnering the greatest portion of the defensive timeshare at just over fifty-five percent of his career innings. The infield is mostly spoken for in Oakland due to the presence of Matt Chapman, Marcus Semien and Matt Olsen, but with Jurickson Profar now in San Diego, Pinder could be in line for a semi-regular role at the keystone, where he’s been tabbed for right around 13 starts per season since his debut. Franklin Barreto, Jorge Mateo and Sheldon Neuse are the greatest threats to a regular role at second for now, though there’s plenty of time for Oakland to make a move.
There aren’t many teams that couldn’t use a Swiss Army knife like Pinder. The Indians, for one, have long had their eye on him, per Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle. He bring defensive value in the outfield corners, where the A’s play him most, but he’s also coming off the worst offensive showing of his career – a mere 87 wRC+. This on the heels of a 114 wRC+ season in 2018. His BABIP slipped to a career low, so there could be some positive regression coming, but his walk rate also dropped back to 5.4% after a rise to 8.1% the year before, which prompted much of the excess offensive output. Strikeouts aren’t a huge problem for Pinder, but he simply doesn’t have any one skill strong enough to make up for a below-average walk rate. He has decent enough pop, but the .240/.290/.416 line he put forth in 2019 isn’t going to cut it, even for a part-timer.
Even so, the A’s like Pinder quite a bit, and it would take a good return to prompt a trade, per MLB.com’s Martin Gallegos. He is arbitration eligible for the first time this winter, however, figured to make around $1.8MM. The cost-conscious A’s are always willing to be creative with their payroll, but the flexibility and security Pinder provides the roster far outweighs the meager salary he’ll be due his first time through the arbitration process.
Chad Pinder would be perfect for the little Phillies with their fat green puppet except Chad isn’t listed as a third baseman.
The Phillies already have their perfect utility man, Scott Kingery.
Can’t hurt to have a 2nd. Would love for the Phillies to get him.
I think the Braves make since. They already said they are looking for at least one swiss army knife to replace Culberson. Ironically, they saved the exact same $1.8 million Ponder would cost by cutting Culberson. Pinder would cost the same and is probably a better hitter.
Unless the 2nd is Sean Rodriguez.
I love how the name of the top article is “Chad Pinder attracting significant trade interest” and then the very first thing I read at the top is “As of now the Athleticss are uninterested in trading Chad Pinder.”
Would you PLEASE give it a rest, you idiot??? So tired of day in and day out, same garbage about Phillies ownership and management. Its old. Its stale. And frankly if you are incapable of not commenting this crap, then you are announcing to the world you are a complete and total moron.
We get it!! You dont like the owner or management approach. …for the 100th time. I am SURE they are concerned as well.
You should take some time off and relax
BobSacamano
It can be annoying listening to certain people play the same grating note day in and day out. And in that case it’s not the fault of the person who gets fed up.
If you are singling out posters for the daily grind, then it’s you who needs to be on here less, not me (lol). Posters are allowed to call out the ownership of all teams, as often as they like. Its not boring, its the topic of its day.
But for real I don’t take notes of any poster unless they repeatedly personally attack me just because they don’t share my opinions. I also view each post as its own world, and I think posters that carry chatter over from different topics is the corniest of corny. Keep. It. Movin.
Strike Four your constant daily childish Yankee hate, which you took to the extreme of predicting the Yankees would NOT get Cole (eat crow!), is about as annoying as anything on this site. I mean get a life. Next is your overbearing sanctimonious aggression which you turn on people left and right. You are the epitome of a troll.
What exactly is positive regression?
Returning to normality in a positive way. But I agree it’s an oxymoron. I prefer negative positive progression.
Or Kool Aid & a pipe. Probably the latter….
It’s just koolaid… one word. Probably blue.
Oh yeaaaaah
It’s like jumbo shrimp. Or is it plastic silverware?
Not sure I see this trade happening before holt signs with someone, but, maybe his asking price is higher than expected (or maybe he’s not engaging much waiting to see if boston clears some space and will take him back)
** We got Pinder, we are going to the World Series. ** No offense Chad.
Chad Pinder is an integral part of the talented A’s. Staying put…
He was horrible last year
Yea an almost 2 WAR, utility guy who played all over with positive offense and defense. Such a horrible year.
He wasn’t as good as he was last year.
MLBTR listed this guy as a non-tender candidate, which I found to be unrealistic.
I like guys like Pinder and Holt they play like 7 positions and can stick them anywhere on your fantasy team, especially when your stars are off
Hes a utility player. He can make a successful career of it. I imagine he has a very low trade value. This is an advertisement to attract interest.
These guys are great until you have them make the last out in the World Series. Bats matter, just ask any Indians fan about Michael Martinez.
Don’t ask us. It’s cruel. Haha. Davis tying the game with the homerun was our one miracle. We knew it was over as soon as Martinez stepped to the plate.
I knew it was over when Francona chose to start Kluber on short rest, instead of throwing a Ryan Merritt curveball at the Cubs, like he did against Toronto.
You’re not wrong. The storyline of history being made by overcoming a 3-1 deficit against dominant Kluber and Miller who had been run into the ground already… the writing was on the wall.
Heyman getting called out for lying by his fellow media, once again.
The guy, the creator of the “mystery team” is a disgrace to the MLB offseason – but is fine otherwise. He just needs his twitter taken away at this time of year.
You said it, brother.
All these teams so desperate for Pinder could just go sign Brock Holt…
MLBTR- “Chad Pinder is drawing trade interest.” 3hrs later. “Too bad”
Ponder cheaper than Holt?