The Oakland A’s fire sale is on.
According to ESPN’s Jeff Passan, Oakland has dealt coveted first baseman Matt Olson to the Atlanta Braves for four players, which Passan termed a “massive” haul for the A’s. According to MLB.com, outfielder Cristian Pache (No. 1), catcher Shane Langeliers (No. 2) and right-hander Ryan Cusick (No. 6) rank among the organization's top 10 prospects.
Olson was one of the top players available on the trade market this offseason, as Oakland enters a full rebuild. The 27-year-old sweet-swinging lefty set career bests across the board in 2021 with a .271/.371/.540 slash line, 39 homers, 111 RBIs, 88 walks and 111 strikeouts and a 153 OPS+. He was a Gold Glove finalist for the fourth straight season after winning the award in 2018 and 2019. He is under arbitration control for the next two seasons despite being in his prime.
Now both of Oakland’s 2021 All-Stars are gone. The trade comes two days after the A's dealt 2021 ace Chris Bassitt to the New York Mets for a pair of highly-regarded pitching prospects.
A massive off-load of talent was expected this offseason in Oakland after manager Bob Melvin was granted permission to interview with the San Diego Padres before taking the job, allowing the A’s to save money on his $4 million salary.
Up next, the A’s could be moving third baseman Matt Chapman, starters Sean Manaea and Frankie Montas.
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