A's Mailbag: Trades on the Horizon?

It's been a few weeks since we last did a mailbag here at Inside The A's, so I figured it was time to see what you wanted to discuss. Luckily for me, one of my favorite topics was at the forefront: Trades.

could you see a kemp and blackburn package going ,if so where to and for what?
— Miggy_33 (@Fbody_Miggy) January 6, 2023

I’m sorta wary about asking - but I know you love trade talk: who’s up next, or do we wait for ST?
— LiLoveLoveLi (@LiLove87186560) January 5, 2023

Let's start by specifically talking about Tony Kemp and Paul Blackburn. Kemp has primarily played second base and in left field the past two seasons, and the likelihood is that he'd resume those roles in 2023. While the A's aren't loaded by any means, I have previously written about how a platoon of Peterson and Brown could work best offensively and defensively in left, and a platoon of Díaz and Kemp would give the A's their best production at second.

Whether or not that's the A's plan remains to be seen. If it is what they're thinking, Kemp could potentially be seen as an extra piece on this roster and with one year of team control left, and that roster spot could come in handy in keeping someone like Cristian Pache around.

Kemp hit .235 with a .307 OBP and a 91 wRC+, but he also posted a 126 wRC+ in the second half and only struck out an astounding 8.8% of the time after the break. Kemp is a veteran that wants to be in Oakland to help nurture the younger guys on the roster. He may just have a spot on this club, even with ownership trying to cut payroll where they can.

As for Paul Blackburn, he had a breakout season in 2022, posting a 2.15 ERA through the first two months of the season, which was a large part of the reason why he was named as the A's All-Star representative. His season ended early due to injury and he finished the year with a 4.28 ERA in 21 starts. He still has three years of team control, but after the rough last couple of months to his '22 campaign, teams will likely want to see how he's performing again before offering much in the way of prospect capital.

Only one team feels like a fit for both players in the same deal, and that's the Chicago White Sox, mainly because they need a second baseman. The top five in the Sox rotation seems pretty solid, but Blackburn would provide them with some depth to weather an injury here or there, or Chicago could even trade one of their own starting five (Lucas Giolito is a free agent at the end of the year) to address another area, or provide the team with extra depth. Much like the Angels of recent seasons, the White Sox are talented, but depth to overcome injuries could be their biggest weakness.

From an A's perspective, the front office has said they want to win more games in 2023. They want to improve. Blackburn was solid for the first couple of months, but with three years of team control left, will the team around him be good enough to truly compete while he's around, or would it be more wise to move him and let one of the three or four other options the A's have get some playing time?

That's a tough one to answer, but something the team will likely be considering in 2023.

Aside from those two, are there any other players that could be moved?

Seth Brown's name is going to come up in trade rumors for sure. It already has. But it would behoove the A's to hold onto him for at least a little while longer so they can see how the shift ban plays out. Brown was a top-5 hitter in baseball last season when he wasn't being shifted, so his trade value could skyrocket in 2023.

Another name that may get floated is Cristian Pache, mainly because the A's beat writers keep wondering where he fits on this club with the addition of Estuery Ruiz from the Sean Murphy trade. The only reason this is a concern is because Pache is now out of options, which means he has to be on the A's 26-man roster come Opening Day.

In 91 games, Pache hit .166 with a .218 on-base and finished the year with a 35 wRC+. That said, he did have a 77 wRC+ against left-handers, which is still 23% below league average, but with the defense he provides, could be enough to find him somewhat regular playing time until he hopefully figures things out. He also posted an 84 wRC+ in the second half, albeit in 40 at-bats. Trading away Pache before the season begins would be selling pretty low. If his new approach at the plate can be sustained through spring training, I think he can find a spot on the Opening Day squad to get one more chance to stick.

By midseason, new signee Trevor May should be a hot topic of conversation. Where he may end up is anyone's guess at this point.

Sam Moll isn't exactly an exciting trade piece, but he was one heck of an effective reliever for the A's in 2022, leading the bullpen in ERA with a 2.91. Relievers are volatile year-to-year, and rebuilding teams often trade away their best bullpen arms unless they're about to contend. Plus, the A's have Jake Fishman waiting in the wings as a potential replacement for Moll.

If Ramón Laureano can turn into the player that he was back in 2019, he could be dangled, but he's going to need to improve on his .211 average and .287 OBP to make that happen.

Cole Irvin is one guy that would make sense as a trade candidate at the deadline, because every team could use a Cole Irvin type pitcher down the stretch. He's effective, he can eat innings, and he isn't going to cost a ton in prospects. The A's could also choose to keep him around as the veteran in the rotation for a couple more seasons.

The last player that could be moved as 2023 progresses is Luis Medina, who was part of the return in the Frankie Montas deal. He'll be out of options next season, and the only reason that's of concern now is that he has yet to pitch above Double-A, and after he was acquired by the A's, his walk rate spiked. He walked 22 batters in 20 2/3 innings with Midland. Walks have been a bit of an issue for Medina in the minors, but his arm is electric and he's just 23. If the A's don't see the progress they're hoping for from him, he could be on the move instead of losing him to waivers a few months later.

Not all of these players will be traded. The only one that even has a pretty good chance is Trevor May, who's on a one-year deal. That could all change as we see how these guys play in 2023, but for right now, the team is fairly young, and the majority of the roster is staying put.

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