- The Athletics haven’t played since Saturday due to a positive COVID-19 test within the organization, which led to the postponement of Sunday’s game with the Astros and games set for today and tomorrow against the Mariners. However, the team’s traveling party hasn’t delivered any further positive results after a round of tests conducted both Sunday and yesterday, Susan Slusser and Matt Kawahara of the San Francisco Chronicle report. For now, signs seem to be pointing towards the A’s returning to the field on Friday to begin a series with the Padres, as Slusser and MLB Network’s Jon Heyman (Twitter links) reports that Thursday’s game with the Mariners will also be postponed. Looking at both the Seattle and Oakland schedules, one would think September 14 or 17 would be natural days for re-scheduled days, as both clubs are off on those days. [UPDATE: The A’s announced the makeup dates for the Mariners series — a doubleheader in Seattle on September 14, and a previously-scheduled game in Seattle on September 26 will now also be a doubleheader.]
Athletics Rumors
AL West Trade Deadline Recap
With the deadline in the rearview mirror, we’ll look back at each AL West team’s trade activity over the past month.
Houston Astros
- Acquired LHP Brooks Raley from Reds for a player to be named later
Los Angeles Angels
- Acquired INF Franklin Barreto from Athletics for INF Tommy La Stella
- Acquired RHP Gerardo Reyes from Padres for C Jason Castro
- Acquired LHP Packy Naughton and a player to be named later or cash considerations from Reds for OF Brian Goodwin
Oakland Athletics
- Acquired cash considerations from Reds for OF Mark Payton
- Acquired INF Tommy La Stella from Angels for INF Franklin Barreto
- Acquired LHP Mike Minor from Rangers for OF Marcus Smith, INF Dustin Harris and international bonus pool space
Seattle Mariners
- Acquired RHP Jimmy Yacabonis from Padres for cash considerations
- Acquired cash considerations from Blue Jays for 1B/DH Dan Vogelbach
- Acquired a player to be named later from Blue Jays for RHP Taijuan Walker
- Acquired OF Taylor Trammell, INF Ty France, C Luis Torrens and RHP Andres Muñoz from Padres for C Austin Nola, RHP Austin Adams and RHP Dan Altavilla
- Acquired a player to be named later (reportedly RHP Matt Brash) from Padres for RHP Taylor Williams
Texas Rangers
- Acquired a player to be named later and cash considerations from Mets for RHP Ariel Jurado
- Acquired OF Marcus Smith, INF Dustin Harris and international bonus pool space from Athletics for LHP Mike Minor
- Acquired a player to be named later from Mets for C Robinson Chirinos
- Acquired a player to be named later from Mets for INF Todd Frazier
Athletics Acquire Mike Minor
2:26pm: Both teams have announced the trade. Texas will also land $133K in international slot compensation in the deal, and it will pay half of Minor’s remaining salary, Jeff Wilson of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram tweets.
1:05pm: Texas will receive outfielder Marcus Smith and third baseman Dustin Harris, Levi Weaver of The Athletic reports. Both players were 2019 draft picks for the Athletics, who took Smith in the third round and Harris in the 11th. MLB.com ranked Smith as the A’s 22nd-best prospect before the trade.
11:32am: The Athletics have acquired left-hander Mike Minor from the division-rival Rangers for two players to be named later, Jeff Passan of ESPN reports. The two players are prospects, according to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic.
The 32-year-old Minor is only a season removed from serving as one of the American League’s most effective starters (he finished eighth in Cy Young voting), but 2020 hasn’t worked out according to plan. Minor has made seven starts this year and managed a dismal 5.60 ERA/4.83 FIP with 8.92 K/9 and 3.31 BB/9 through 35 1/3 innings, all while experiencing a 2 mph drop in average fastball velocity compared to last season. His disappointing production is among the reasons the Rangers are just 12-21 and among the few teams in baseball that look to be completely out of the playoff race.
Now, considering the Rangers’ status as non-contenders, Minor’s prorated $9.83MM salary and his pending free agency, the team’s moving on from him. He wouldn’t have been in line for a qualifying offer because of this year’s poor output, so Texas took what it deemed as the best offer for Minor. We may not know the identities of the players the Rangers are getting for Minor for a while, as only those in teams’ 60-man pools are eligible to be dealt right now.
Meanwhile, the Athletics – owners of the AL’s second-best record (22-12) – are no doubt hoping Minor will return to his previous form in their uniform. He encouraged in his final Rangers start Friday with six shutout innings against the high-powered Dodgers, and will now join an A’s staff that has produced middle-of-the-road results thus far. Jesus Luzardo and Chris Bassitt have logged sub-4.00 ERAs this year; Sean Manaea has registered far better peripherals than run prevention numbers; and Frankie Montas, Mike Fiers and Daniel Mengden have struggled across a combined 15 starts.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Marcus Semien Underwent MRI Due To Side Discomfort
5:18PM: Semien’s MRI “revealed no serious issue,” The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal tweets, and so Semien could only miss a few days’ worth of games. (Or, a few days but no games at all, due to the positive COVID-19 test on Oakland’s roster.)
6:41AM: Athletics shortstop Marcus Semien was scratched from the nightcap of yesterday’s doubleheader against the Astros. He was experiencing soreness in his left side, manager Bob Melvin told reporters (including Shayna Rubin of the San Jose Mercury News). Semien underwent an MRI yesterday afternoon.
As Rubin notes, that broke a remarkable streak of 276 consecutive games in which Semien was penciled into the lineup as Oakland’s shortstop. Star third baseman Matt Chapman slid over to short for the first time in his MLB career in Semien’s stead. Rule V draftee Vimael Machin stepped in at the hot corner.
Surely, the hope is that Semien’s MRI will come back clean and he’ll be back shortly. At 22-12, the A’s are in extremely strong position to qualify for the postseason, so they can afford to play things cautiously. Semien has been off to a disappointing start, hitting just .229/.285/.379 with five home runs in 151 plate appearances, but there’s no questioning his importance to the club. After all, the 29-year-old is coming off a season in which he racked up nearly eight wins above replacement and finished third in AL MVP voting.
If Semien were to miss time, it’s possible Chapman could stay at shortstop. His elite defense at third base would seem to suggest he’d be more than capable of sliding up the defensive spectrum. (Of course, it’s arguable that moving Chapman off third is too risky considering how great he’s been at that position). As Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle observes (Twitter link), the A’s do have Sheldon Neuse and non-roster invitee Nate Orf at their alternate training site as potential infield depth. Utilityman Chad Pinder (who went on the paternity list earlier this week) has a bit of MLB shortstop experience as well.
A’s, Twins, Padres, Blue Jays Interested In Lance Lynn
4:55PM: The Athletics are “potentially” also interested in Lynn, Morosi notes in an on-air report (Twitter link).
TODAY, 11:30AM: The Twins are also in on Lynn, hears Jon Morosi of MLB Network (via Twitter). Morosi adds that Lynn is “increasingly likely” to be moved before tomorrow’s deadline.
AUGUST 29: Count the Padres and Blue Jays among the teams to have expressed interest in Rangers starter Lance Lynn, reports Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic. With the White Sox also cited as a suitor for Lynn earlier today, the Rangers appear to have a robust market forming for their top starter, for whom they’re said to be “entertaining offers,” though that’s no guarantee that they’re determined to deal Lynn prior to Monday’s trading deadline.
Beyond the three teams named above, it seems likely that almost every pitching-needy team will inquire about Lynn, who is coveted not only because of his elite production, but because he’s not just a rental: the 33-year-old will remain under contract through next season, when he’ll be paid $8MM—by no means a steep cost for a pitcher of his caliber. Those factors could make Lynn a hotly contested name during what might otherwise be a quiet trade season.
We’ll have to see just how much the Rangers are willing to part with Lynn, but there’s no doubt they’ll command a pretty high asking price for their top arm. Still, if there are teams who can meet such an asking price, San Diego, Chicago, and Toronto are among them. All three of those teams have substantial prospect capital to pry Lynn from Texas, assuming they’re .
And one might think of that trio in similar terms: all three teams are finally seeing on-field results following years of speculative “potential.” They rely on a core of young, blossoming position players but largely lack veteran pitchers to match. As those clubs look to enter win-now mode (perhaps the Blue Jays to a lesser degree than the White Sox or Padres), Lynn would be a sensible addition to any pitching staff.
A’s-Astros Game Postponed Due To Positive COVID-19 Test
11:25 am: Another positive test at the Astros’ alternate site has again forced the organization to shut the complex down, reports Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle (via Twitter).
9:30 am: Today’s Athletics-Astros game in Houston has been postponed following a positive COVID-19 test in the Oakland organization, the A’s announced. The club is conducting contact tracing and will isolate in Houston pending further testing. An Oakland player tested positive for the virus, reports Jon Heyman of MLB Network (Twitter link).
Hopefully, the immediate postponement of games and isolation can prevent a clubhouse outbreak akin to the ones that affected the Marlins and Cardinals earlier this season. More recently, positive tests within the Reds’ and Mets’ organizations have been successfully contained with rapid postponements and isolation. Even in those situations, the affected teams were held out of action for at least four days pending contact tracing and additional testing. It seems likely that Oakland’s upcoming series against the Mariners, scheduled for next Tuesday through Thursday in Seattle, is also in jeopardy (although MLB has not yet addressed those games).
This is the first COVID-related postponement of games in the Western divisions. The Astros’ alternate training site was shut down by a positive test last weekend but was reopened three days later.
A’s Reportedly Targeting Bullpen Help
The A’s are seemingly in the hunt for an addition to their bullpen, hears Mark Feinsand of MLB.com (Twitter link). To that end, Oakland was in on Trevor Rosenthal before the Royals traded the right-hander to the Padres yesterday, Feinsand adds.
The A’s bullpen has been a big part of their 22-12 start. Oakland relievers have pitched to a league-best 1.87 ERA and 2.92 FIP this season, with strong contributions from Liam Hendriks, Joakim Soria, Lou Trivino and others. Nevertheless, there’s little harm for the Oakland front office in seeking to lengthen the pen. The club’s starting rotation has been a middle-of-the-road unit. An even deeper bullpen would give manager Bob Melvin more ammunition to mix-and-match on the pitching staff, which could be especially useful in the postseason.
Beyond Rosenthal (who’s obviously no longer a trade candidate), it isn’t clear specifically who Oakland is targeting. There are a host of relievers who look like potential trade candidates, among them Kansas City’s Greg Holland, Baltimore’s Mychal Givens/Miguel Castro and Boston’s Matt Barnes.
Athletics Acquire Tommy La Stella For Franklin Barreto
10:26pm: Both teams have announced the trade.
9:15pm: The Athletics have acquired infielder Tommy La Stella from the division-rival Angels, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reports. Fellow infielder Franklin Barreto is headed to the Angels, per Rosenthal.
Now 31 years old, La Stella was a capable part-time player with the Braves and Cubs from 2014-18, but he has found another gear since joining the Angels before last season. Going back to 2019, La Stella has slashed .289/.353/.483 (125 wRC+) with 20 home runs and as many walks as strikeouts (35). La Stella even earned his first All-Star nod a season ago, though he was unable to play in the game after suffering a fractured tibia.
To his credit, La Stella has come back strong from his injury this year. He could soon emerge as the No. 1 option at second base for a contending Oakland club that has relied on Tony Kemp to handle the position so far.
Although La Stella was terrific as an Angel, they’re well out of contention, and he’s a pending free agent. As such, it made sense for the club to move on from La Stella and take on the 24-year-old Barreto, a former top prospect who didn’t receive consistent playing in Oakland.
Originally acquired from the Blue Jays as part of the two teams’ Josh Donaldson trade before 2015, Barreto batted a woeful .180/.210/.360 with nine homers in 219 plate appearances as an Athletic, and he has totaled just 10 trips to the plate this year. However, in addition to his prospect pedigree and youth, Barreto owns a strong track record in Triple-A, where he has hit .285/.356/.505 with 53 HRs in 1,285 PA. The Angels are obviously hoping Barreto will tap into his potential in their uniform, but because he’s out of minor league options, they won’t have the luxury of demoting him without possibly losing him.
Defensively, most of Barreto’s MLB playing time has come at second, where La Stella and Luis Rengifo have gotten the lion’s share of action for the club this year. But as the Angels go through the final month of what’s very likely to be another non-playoff season, they should be in position to evaluate Barreto as a possible everyday option at the keystone. The A’s, on the other hand, are taking a chance that La Stella will provide yet another weapon on a team aiming for an AL West title and a World Series this year.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Latest On A.J. Puk
- The next step in A.J. Puk’s rehab will take place Friday, as Athletics manager Bob Melvin told the San Francisco Chroncile’s Susan Slusser and other reporters that Puk will throw 30 pitches over two simulated innings against live batters. This will be the second time that Puk has faced actual hitters during his recovery from shoulder woes that have plagued him since Spring Training. There is still no clear timetable on when Puk could make his return to the A’s, though the club has already said that he will be deployed as a reliever in 2020.
Seven Games Postponed On Thursday
6:23PM: Tonight’s game between the Marlins and Mets will not be played. As relayed by several reporters, players on both teams took part in a powerful symbolic moment, with Mets players taking their usual positions in the field and the other Mets and Marlins players standing outside their dugouts. After a 42-second moment of silence in honor of Jackie Robinson, all players tipped and waved their caps at one another before departing the field, with a Black Lives Matter t-shirt left atop home plate.
5:41PM: The game between the Orioles and Rays will also not be played. Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times (Twitter site) was among those to note the lack of normal pregame activity between the two clubs, and equipment being packed up from both dugouts.
5:06PM: Tonight’s game between the Rockies and Diamondbacks has also been postponed, as per Bob Nightengale of USA Today (Twitter link).
3:51PM: Players on the Nationals and Phillies collectively decided to postpone tonight’s game, as per a Phillies media release.
3:21PM: The Red Sox have decided not to play their game against the Blue Jays tonight, Julian McWilliams of the Boston Globe reports (via Twitter).
3:04PM: Tonight’s game between the Twins and Tigers will also be postponed, according to MLB Network’s Jon Heyman (Twitter link). Twins and Tigers players each voted against playing the game, as respectively reported by The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal and MLB.com’s Jason Beck.
1:42PM: Phillies players have voted against playing their scheduled game versus the Nationals tonight, Jim Salisbury of NBC Sports Philadelphia reports (via Twitter). ESPN’s Jeff Passan tweets that the Rangers/Athletics game will also be postponed tonight. Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle tweeted shortly prior that the A’s were giving strong consideration to opting not to play. Passan tweeted earlier that Red Sox players were also considering a decision not to play against the Blue Jays.
Today’s decisions follow several clubs who declined to play yesterday in the wake of the police shooting of Jacob Blake in Kenosha, Wisconsin. In total, three MLB games — Brewers/Reds, Mariners/Padres and Dodgers/Giants were postponed yesterday. All three are expected to be made up in doubleheaders today.
Last night, Major League Baseball issued the following statement in response to teams’ decisions to protest:
“Given the pain in the communities of Wisconsin and beyond following the shooting of Jacob Blake, we respect the decisions of a number of players not to play tonight. MLB remains united for change in our society & we will be allies in the fight to end racism and injustice.”
Similar protests were made in the NBA, where the scheduled postseason games Wednesday and Thursday were all postponed. The current expectation is for the NBA to resume play Saturday (link via HoopsRumors).