Jeff Samardzija traded to Oakland Athletics
As we should expect around this time of year, a laundry list of names are being tossed around the rumor mill with few deals actually coming to fruition. Many names have been brought up, but only few will actually become anything other than a rumor.
One of the names at the top of the list was former Cubbies pitcher Jeff Samardzija, who was recently dealt to the Athletics alongside Jason Hammel for shortstop Addison Russell, outfielder Billy McKinney, pitcher Dan Straily and a player to be named later. The move is indicative of how each season is going for both teams as one partner looks to the future while the other makes a move for the now–a theme you should expect from future trades prior to the July 31st non-waiver trade deadline.
Chicago’s reasoning behind the deal can be seen in Russell, Oakland’s 20-year-old shortstop who is considered by some a top-10 prospect in baseball. The Cubs also bagged another first-round pick in Billy McKinney, a prospect who shows about as much promise as any outfielder already familiar with Wrigley Field’s outfield grass. For the Cubs, Straily is the only guy ready to see the field tomorrow and he’s most likely a middle of the rotation arm for them.
For Oakland and the best record in baseball, it’s a case of the strong getting stronger. The 29-year-old Samardzija was 2-7 with a 2.83 earned run average, which could easily translate to a 7-2 record in green and gold. Oakland also added a 31-year-old Hammel who was somehow 7-5 with a 2.98 ERA in Chi-Town. Both hurlers instantly become more valuable while any team facing the A’s should be weary against a starting rotation that already wielded three pitchers boasting an ERA under or just over 3.00 (Sonny Gray has the highest ERA of the bunch at 3.08).
Tampa Bay’s David Price, who is currently 8-7 with a 3.48 ERA and 159 strikeouts, is the biggest name you’ve heard and will continue to hear until the deadline passes.
The Cardinals, Rangers and Mariners are just three of the teams that could offer a legitimate deal given the prospects growing in their farm. It may be hard for the Rays to acquire the two or three (most likely three given the Oakland-Chicago trade) prospects they hoped to obtain when they gauged the league’s interest earlier this year. Price will be a free agent in 2015 and if a deal isn’t made this year you should expect him to be in Los Angeles, Anaheim or New York given their deep pockets and the decreased likelihood of a deal in his contract year.
A name to consider that many aren’t is the other guy with a ‘Z’ in his name. Don’t be surprised if Rockies shortstop Troy Tulowitzki is dealt prior to the deadline. With his value being higher than it has ever been since being drafted out of Long Beach State in 2005, Colorado could and should make a move to improve their pitching. And given his injury-plagued career, I’d at least field offers if I had him on my roster.
As for other players who could find themselves in a new zip code come August, keep an eye out for this six-pack of names:
- Dayan Viciedo, Chicago White Sox
- Martin Prado, Arizona Diamondbacks
- Ben Zobrist, Tampa Bay Rays
- Chase Headley, San Diego Padres
- Daniel Murphy, New York Mets
- Will Middlebrooks, Boston Red Sox
If you have any questions you can contact us or hit me up on Twitter @ThisJustM
