Last night the Chicago Cubs traded pitchers Jeff Samardzijia and Jason Hammel to the Oakland A's for shortstop Addison Russell (the A's top prospect and 2012 first-round pick), pitcher Dan Straily (second-year starter for the A's who was demoted to AAA), outfielder Billy McKinley (the A's #2 prospect and 2013 first-round draft pick), and the good old PTBNL (Player To Be Named Later). Obviously it's hard to gauge a trade right after it happens, especially when there are prospects involved. It's a waiting game. But as it stands right now, it looks like a win-win. Billy Beane and the A's bolster their rotation, making then a World Series favorite (they already have the best record in Major League Baseball) and Theo Epstein and the Cubs get another top prospect to add to their glut of future stars, including third baseman Kris Bryant and shortstop Javier Baez. One might question the Cubs stockpiling young shortstops, with Starlin Castro already entrenched there at the big league level, but they will probably move one of the shortstops to second base and trade another (probably Baez) for young pitching. As for the A's, their rotation goes from Sonny Gray-Scott Kazmir-Tommy Milone-Brad Mills-Jesse Chavez to Jeff Samardzijia-Jason Hammel-Sonny Gray-Scott Kazmir-Jesse Chavez (or something like that). That's an upgrade.
In other (more minor) news, the Arizona Diamandbacks traded reliever Joe Thatcher and outfielder Tony Campana to the L.A. Angels for two prospects, outfielder Zack Borenstein and pitcher Joey Krehbeil. This trade is a small response to the A's trade as the Angels bolster their bullpen to try to keep up with the A's in the AL West. The D-Backs, like the Cubs, get pieces for the future, as they are out of contention this year.o)
Last night the Chicago Cubs traded pitchers Jeff Samardzijia and Jason Hammel to the Oakland A's for shortstop Addison Russell (the A's top prospect and 2012 first-round pick), pitcher Dan Straily (second-year starter for the A's who was demoted to AAA), outfielder Billy McKinley (the A's #2 prospect and 2013 first-round draft pick), and the good old PTBNL (Player To Be Named Later). Obviously it's hard to gauge a trade right after it happens, especially when there are prospects involved. It's a waiting game. But as it stands right now, it looks like a win-win. Billy Beane and the A's bolster their rotation, making then a World Series favorite (they already have the best record in Major League Baseball) and Theo Epstein and the Cubs get another top prospect to add to their glut of future stars, including third baseman Kris Bryant and shortstop Javier Baez. One might question the Cubs stockpiling young shortstops, with Starlin Castro already entrenched there at the big league level, but they will probably move one of the shortstops to second base and trade another (probably Baez) for young pitching. As for the A's, their rotation goes from Sonny Gray-Scott Kazmir-Tommy Milone-Brad Mills-Jesse Chavez to Jeff Samardzijia-Jason Hammel-Sonny Gray-Scott Kazmir-Jesse Chavez (or something like that). That's an upgrade.
In other (more minor) news, the Arizona Diamandbacks traded reliever Joe Thatcher and outfielder Tony Campana to the L.A. Angels for two prospects, outfielder Zack Borenstein and pitcher Joey Krehbeil. This trade is a small response to the A's trade as the Angels bolster their bullpen to try to keep up with the A's in the AL West. The D-Backs, like the Cubs, get pieces for the future, as they are out of contention this year.
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