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.
Still, the deal has to sting for A’s fans, who have seen their homegrown stars and talent be traded away over the past two decades. Olson became a fan favorite since the A’s drafted him in the first round of the 2012 draft and made his debut in 2016. At least he gets to go play for his hometown Braves, as Olson grew up in Georgia.
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.
Meanwhile, Olson serves as a solid consolation prize for the Braves, who are essentially letting Freddie Freeman walk with this deal.
The former NL MVP has been the face of the Braves over the last decade and played an integral role in bringing a World Series title to Atlanta last year. The Dodgers and Yankees (who were reportedly also interested in Olson) have been reported as the teams targeting Freeman.
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