If the A’s indeed do have a fire sale, it could start happening soon.
Shortly after news of the MLB and MLBPA’s tentative agreement to end the lockout was reported Thursday afternoon, Matt Olson’s name was trending on Twitter. It seems a lot of MLB fans would love to see the sweet-swinging lefty on their squad.
Olson turns 28 on March 29 and is probably the prized player among Oakland’s stars on the trading block. The writing has been on the wall for the A’s to do a rebuild since the team granted the San Diego Padres permission to interview Bob Melvin, who took the job and headed down south to Petco Park.
First-year manager Mark Kotsay could be saying goodbye to some of his players through abbreviated spring training. Players can report to camp as soon as Friday, with Sunday as a mandatory reporting date. Spring training games are expected to begin around March 18 while Opening Day is slated for April 7. The league intends to make up the missed games via nine-inning doubleheaders.
Owners will vote on the CBA at 3 p.m. PT Thursday and it’s expected to be a “slam dunk” to pass, according to Bob Nightengale of USA Today. Once the deal is approved, free agency and trades are able to happen immediately.
Olson took his game to another level in 2021. During the previous offseason he re-tooled his swing and it helped him get better plate coverage on inside pitches. He tattooed the ball in spring training and kept it up the regular season with career offensive numbers.
The first baseman slashed .271/.371/.540 with 39 homers, 111 RBI, 88 walks, 113 strikeouts and 153 OPS+ – all career bests for a season where he played at least 60 games. He was rewarded with his first career All-Star Game invite and also has been a Gold Glove finalist the past four years, winning the award in 2018 and 2019. Olson is slick in the field and loves to show off his cannon when he can.
The contract situation is also team-friendly for Olson, who is entering his second year of arbitration and is projected to earn $12 million this season, per Spotrac. That’s a great deal for a player of Olson’s caliber, who is low maintenance for a manager and beloved in the Oakland clubhouse. According to Ken Rosenthal, arbitration hearings will occur on March 25. Under his current deal, Olson is locked up for arbitration in 2023 before becoming an unrestricted free agent in 2024.
Throughout the offseason, Olson has been linked to the Atlanta Braves, Texas Rangers, San Diego Padres and New York Yankees, among other teams. The A’s have a depleted farm system and could use some top-level prospects.
Back in November, Audacy Sports MLB Insider Jon Heyman spoke to Oakland general manager David Forst and reported that the A’s “are willing to listen on everyone.” Olson joins third baseman Matt Chapman, right-hander Chris Bassitt, southpaw Sean Manaea and righty Frankie Montas as potential candidates to get moved.
For the past two decades, A’s fans have had to endure several rebuilds, which the front office has referred to as “cycles.” While most franchises would love to lock up Olson as the face of the franchise, owner John Fisher hasn’t shown a commitment to long-term deals for players, homegrown or not. As such, Olson could be on the move in no time.
Related
