For the Oakland A’s it was just a simple matter of numbers. Anyway they sliced it, seven outfielders for three spots just didn’t work.
When a team has a surplus of talent at one position, they usually try to trade some of that talent to fill needs elsewhere. That’s what the A’s did earlier in the week.
The A’s traded OF Rajai Davis to the Toronto Blue Jays for RHP Trystan Magnuson and RHP Daniel Farquhar. I dig this trade by the Jays.
First, Davis adds some needed speed to the slow-footed Jays’ lineup. The Jays finished dead last in the American League in stolen bases and Davis should help them immensely in that category.
The Jays stole 58 bases as a team in 2010. Davis stole 50 by himself. As long as Davis can continue to get on base he should steal anywhere from 50 to 60 bases in 2011.
That’s the key for Davis: Getting on base. Thanks in large part to Davis’ BB Percentage dropping from 6.7 percent in 2009 to 4.6 percent in 2010 and his BABIP dropping from .361 in 2009 to .322 in 2010, Davis didn’t get on base as much as he would have liked to in 2010.
If he can get that BB Percentage back up to seven or eight percent, he will do a lot of damage on the basepaths for the Jays in 2011.
I also also think the change in ballparks should help Davis’ BABIP. With that turf in Toronto, Davis should see some balls get through the infield that normally wouldn’t get through in Oakland.
Second, this trade should improve Toronto’s overall defense in 2011.
Davis is an upgrade over Jose Bautista in right and this move will allow Bautista to move back to third base on a full-time basis. Bautista is much better served defensively as a third baseman rather than a rightfielder even though I am not sure how much Bautista wants to play third again.
Davis should also help Vernon Wells in center as well. Davis’ ability to get to balls in right will allow Wells to cheat towards left if need be and help out Travis Snider.
For the A’s, they get back two above average prospects from the Jays and continue to stockpile young pitching.
Not only does Trystan Magnuson sound like a daytime soap opera actor or the arrogant captain of the team the Ducks are facing in the next Mighty Ducks movie, but he also had a pretty good year in Double A for the Jays. Magnuson, who is 25-years-old , posted a 2.58 ERA, 7.7 K’s/9, and 1.2 BB’s/9 in 73.1 innings in 2010.
Farquhar, who will be 24 in February, tossed to a 3.52 ERA, 9.3 K’s/9, and 4.9 BB’s/9 in 76.2 innings in 2010. Like Magnuson, Farquhar pitched in Double A last season.
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