July 6, 2012; Houston, TX, USA; Houston Astros shortstop Jed Lowrie (4) throws a runner out at first against the Milwaukee Brewers in the third inning at Minute Maid Park. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports

The logic behind the deal appears to be a safety net of sorts, similar I think to the logic behind the deal that brought in Chris Young back in October.  The team appears to be set in pencil around the infield, save for the first base spot which seems all but locked up by Brandon Moss now with Carter out of the way.  I did like the two headed monster last year, so I’m a little sad that we won’t get to see if that can succeed again, but then again I do have an irrational love for Brandon Moss.

Lowrie has been a lot about potential, if he can put it all together, if he can stay healthy (ankle problems), etc… but there’s no doubt he is a talented player and should be an asset to the Athletics in whatever role he’s cast in.  In 2012 he played a career high 97 games and hit .244/.331/.438 with a career high 16 home runs.  He plays primarily shortstop, where Hiroyuki Nakajima seems to be the man for the job at this point, so expect Lowrie to log some serious time at second and third base.  That might be bad news for the many fans of Josh Donaldson in the 510 as his spot is far from guaranteed.

This trade is a sign of two things, the fact that Billy Beane and the A’s brass are really serious about winning in 2013, and that they don’t have as much faith in the existing infielders as one might think.  Jemile Weeks and Scott Sizemore were expected to battle it out in Spring Training for playing time at 2nd base, as Bob Melvin told us just last weekend, but there really didn’t seem to be a challenger for Josh Donaldson at 3rd.  Donaldson was horrifically inept early in the season, and after taking over for the injured Brandon Inge in August he seemed to figure it all out and was a major contributor to the A’s playoff run.  The reality is though that Donaldson isn’t a 23 year old prospect just experiencing some growing pains in the Show, he is a 27 year old who had barely gotten a taste of major league ball prior to 2012.  So the possibility that his hot month or so was a flash in the pan versus a sign of him finally figuring it all out is rather strong.  Lowrie protects against that.

If Donaldson struggles, and Sizemore excels we may also see Lowrie move to 2nd and Sizemore take over the hot corner.  The possibilities right now are very nearly endless.

In losing Chris Carter, the A’s finally gave up on him reaching his once lofty potential.  He had hot streaks, and the ball truly does jump off his bat when he connects, but he would always revert to bad habits at the plate and chase bad pitches he would previously spit on.  I think Houston will be a great place for him to hit, and he’ll get an opportunity without a doubt in Houston.  The A’s had clearly soured on him down the stretch as he barely saw the field, and this trade verifies that notion.

Brad Peacock was thought to be one of the prizes of the Gio Gonzalez trade last year, but struggled mightily with his control and never got going in 2012, surely he’ll compete for a rotation spot with the Astros.  Max Stassi was once thought to be the eventual successor to Kurt Suzuki behind the plate, but his bat never developed and injuries derailed his progress since he was drafted.  He may have new life in the Astros organization now.

The A’s also received Fernando Rodriguez, a 28 year old right handed reliever who hasn’t exactly impressed at the big league level with an extremely high walk rate (4.8/9 innings for his career of 123.1 innings) and an ERA of 4.89.  He’ll likely slide in right next to the likes of Jesse Chavez and Mike Ekstrom on the organizational depth chart.

Billy Beane told Susan Slusser that Nakajima will be the SS, an Lowrie will play all over the infield.  That means exactly what I said earlier, Josh Donaldson, Scott Sizemore, and Jemile Weeks ought not get comfortable.  The price they paid for Lowrie was a bit steep for my taste, but I fully understand the deal so I give it my stamp of approval.  The A’s mean business in 2013 and baseball can’t come soon enough.

May 21, 2012; Oakland, CA, USA; Oakland Athletics first baseman Daric Barton (10) in the dugout before the game against the Los Angeles Angels during the first inning at O.co Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-US PRESSWIRE

Some of the most notable names in Sacramento include Opening Day starting 3B Josh Donaldson, Anthony Recker, Eric Sogard and Kila Ka’aihue who were also on the Opening Day roster, and familiar names like Adam Rosales, Tyson Ross, Graham Godfrey and Michael Taylor.  Oh and some guy named Daric Barton.

The numbers that stand out the most from this lot are those of Josh Donaldson, who is grooming himself as the ultimate Quadruple A player.  He hit about a .150 in Oakland as the 3B there after Scott Sizemore blew out his knee in Spring Training, in Sacramento though it’s an entirely different story.  Donaldson is putting up ridiculous numbers in his 27 games there with a .382/.433/.718 line, that equates to an astounding 1.152 OPS.  If he can do that for even a week in Oakland it would change his entire career trajectory.

Eric Sogard has also torn the cover off the ball, his .339/.443/.473 line has to be pleasing to the A’s.  I believe Sogard can be a useful utility man in Oakland, but if he is relied upon to start there could be problems.

Kila Ka’aihue has also hit well in his time since being designated for assignment, he is hitting .317/.457/.587 in Sacramento as he tries to make his case to return to the Athletics.

Adam Rosales is hitting .296/.347/.483 and will probably continue to ride the Capital Corridor train from Sacramento to Oakland and back throughout the season as the need for roster depth dictates.

Graham Godfrey started the Triple A All Star Game last night for the PCL, and he is having a dazzling season in Sacramento with an 8-0 record and an ERA of 2.88 in 13 starts.  With the rotation health issues the A’s have had, I’d be surprised if he didn’t find his way back to the Oakland rotation at some point.

Then there’s Daric Barton, the most debated figure in the Oakland Athletics organization in recent memory.  Barton well, he’s being Daric Barton down there.  He’s hitting .239/.410/.431, same old high OBP low SLG Barton we all worship or can’t stand.  Some things never change.  At this point who knows if or when he’ll be back in Oakland.

As for the prospects of the Rivercats, most notably Grant Green, Michael Taylor, Brad Peacock, and Daniel Straily, it’s something of a mixed bag.

Grant Green has played all around the diamond, from outfield to 3B to his original SS position, and he’s had what I would classify as a solid season.  He’s hitting .290/.334/.441 and if he continues to produce I would imagine his arrival in Oakland will come at the first opportunity that comes along (Say a Brandon Inge or Cliff Pennington DL stint).

Michael Taylor has big power potential if you look at his frame, but unlike Ryan Sweeney he’s actually shown the ability to hit the ball 400 feet.  While he’s not hitting for much power in Sacramento with just 6 homers in 76 games, he is hitting .302/.405/.451 so not all hope is lost.

Brad Peacock is having what can be categorized as a terrible horrible no good very bad season with the Rivercats.  He does have a .500 record at 6-6, but his ERA is 7.12,  and his WHIP 1.75.  But his FIP is just 3.91 and his BABIP is .383 so perhaps it’s not as bad as it seems.  He still may be stuck in Sacramento though for 2012.

AJ Griffin has been extremely impressive since his surprise call up, and Daniel Straily may very well be the next in line to get such a call up should it be necessary.  He’s made 4 starts since being promoted to Sacramento and has a 3-1 record with a 1.04 ERA.  If Bartolo Colon is dealt at the deadline, Straily may be the one to take his place.

The Rivercats are on track to make some more noise in the Triple A playoffs, provided the A’s don’t pluck away all their best players.

Remember him? The A's traded Gio Gonzalez last winter as the team continued their youth-movement. Image Credit: Brad Barr-US PRESSWIRE

Each month, Swingin’ A’s will revisit three of the biggest trades that the A’s made this past offseason. We’ll continue by reexamining the deal that sent All-Star Gio Gonzalez to the Washington Nationals. The A’s received plenty of young talent in this deal. This deal, in my mind, anyway, makes Billy Beane look very, very smart. We’ll see what you think. 

When the A’s traded Gio Gonzalez to the Washington Nationals this past offseason, I seriously thought about jumping ship. This rebuild only to tear down mentality was not sitting to well with me, but I’m glad I’ve decided to stick around this year. The A’s scored big time in the Gonzalez deal, landing four prospects in the trade. Among those talented prospects are pitchers Brad Peacock, Tom Milone, A.J. Cole, and catcher Derek Norris.

Milone has made his presence felt in Oakland’s clubhouse this season. He’s 3-2 with a 3.69 ERA so far for the Athletics and has demonstrated early on that he’s a guy with solid control and command of his pitches. The A’s have Peacock and Cole down in the minor leagues, but Peacock could find himself in the big leagues at some point this year. Cole, though, is still too early in his development to really make a considerable push for a major league call-up.

The power hitting catcher Norris, though, could find his way up to the big leagues in a hurry. The prospect is tearing things up in Triple-A Sacramento; he’s hitting .329/.344/.565 with 3 HR and 16 RBI in 21 games this year. Should the A’s continue their crazed youth-movement at some point this season and decide to trade away “aging” Kurt Suzuki (who’s just 28), Norris’ name could be on Bob Melvin’s daily lineup card in a hurry.

The A’s gave up a lot in Gonzalez, but in my mind, the team made out considerably well in the trade with Washington. The Nationals have enjoyed Gio Gonzalez’s presence in their starting rotation, as the southpaw has gone 2-1 with a 1.82 ERA in five starts. Both sides, then, have done incredibly well. The Nationals finally have the talent to compete in the National League while the A’s have done a nice job restocking on some young talent as they plan for future success.

One month into the season and the A’s have certainly taken advantage of this trade. Milone is a talented young pitcher pitching in the heart of Oakland’s rotation and the team is seeing encouraging signs from catching prospect Norris. So far, this deal has been equally good for both clubs.

What do you think? Who did better in the trade, the A’s or Nationals? 

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