Moustakas, Gregorius Sent Packing By A's
SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. -- Just two days after celebrating the tenth World Series title in franchise history, the A's made their first significant moves of the offseason on Wednesday, trading veterans Mike Moustakas and Didi Gregorius in separate deals with the Reds and Yankees.
Moustakas was packaged along with minor league reliever Manuel Rivera to Cincinnati for Reds second baseman Billy Hamilton, and minor leaguers Carl Abbott and Mike Stewart. Moustakas, a third baseman, is entering the final year of his contract and is due $9 million in 2018. The acquisition of Hamilton, a speedy second baseman who stole 66 bases this past season, made Gregorius expendable.
Gregorius was shipped to New York along with minor leaguers Shawn O'Halloran, Jorge Alfaro, and Dan Charters in exchange for Hunter Morris and minor league pitcher Alberto Lopez. The trade brings Gregorius back to the National League, where the second baseman won a batting title with Arizona in 2016. Morris, an outfielder/first baseman, gives the A's some much needed power after hitting a career-best 37 homeruns for the Yankees.
"We feel like we had a certain amount of depth at second and third base," A's general manager David Forst explained at a press conference at AT&T Park. "Two of our biggest needs were at first base, and at starting pitcher. We addressed both to some extent."
Lopez was the 13th overall pick out of Michigan by the Seattle Mariners in 2015, but has bounced around from the Tigers to the Angels to the Yankees, and now the A's, in recent years. Nearing his 24th birthday, he has yet to pitch an inning past Class A ball.
"Alberto is on the verge of becoming Major League ready," said Forst. "He has command of four pitches (a cutter, curveball, slider, and changeup) and has some real velocity (estimated at 94-96 mph). Once he gets a little more movement and control on his pitches, he'll be a top tier starter."
The A's are believed to be actively shopping for another starting pitcher to round out their rotation. Depending on how the team's arbitration hearings go, the A's could have anywhere from $20 million to $27 million to spend on free agents, according to one team insider. St. Louis pitcher Lance Lynn (15-9, 3.70 ERA) would be the prize of this year's free agent class unless Masahiro Tanaka (16-7, 2.57 ERA) declines the final year of his contract that would pay him $17 million next season in Milwaukee. Eligible players will file for free agency on November 23rd.