Billy Beane was at it again on Thursday acquiring starting pitcher Jon Lester and outfielder Jonny Gomes from the Boston Red Sox in exchange for outfielder Yoenis Cespedes. Lester will immediately join the A’s star-studded rotation as he makes his first start Saturday afternoon against the Kansas City Royals.
That Oakland rotation now features three pitchers that are in the top seven for ERA in the AL; Lester, Scott Kazmir, and Sonny Gray. Lester is 10-7 on the year with a 2.52 ERA which is fifth best. There’s no doubt Beane is thinking World Series or bust, and Lester’s postseason numbers speak for themselves. Overall he is 6-4 with a 2.11 ERA, but last postseason he went 4-1 with a 1.56 ERA.
While the A’s may have a lights out rotation, they will miss Cespedes in the lineup. Pitching is important in the postseason, but so is hitting. Cespedes is batting .256 with 17 homeruns and 67 RBI with an OBP of 303. Since signing with the A’s in 2012, the green and gold are 228-131 with Cespedes in the lineup and 28-44 without. Now, his contract is up after the 2015 season, and while it’s unlikely the A’s could have reached an extension with Cespedes, he’s had a remarkable impact on this team and leading them to their winning ways and back-to-back AL West titles.
Not to be lost in the deal is Gomes, a great clubhouse presence who had a huge impact on the A’s in 2012 when they won the West on the last day of the season. In order to replace Cespedes in the lineup, Gomes and Vogt will platoon in left field. Gomes is hitting .302 against lefties and Vogt is hitting .365 against righties.
Beane also sent pitcher Tom Milone to the Minnesota Twins for outfielder Sam Fuld. Fuld spent some time with the A’s this season, and they are happy to welcome him back, especially with Coco Crisp nursing a neck injury and Craig Gentry on the DL with a broken hand.
The Oakland A’s have made two blockbuster moves this season, both revolving around pitching. Their rotation is built to last and compete in the postseason, but it’s World Series or bust for the A’s. Beane sees he has an opportunity to do something special with this team, so he is taking chances and making moves for this year not knowing if or when this opportunity will happen again.
The Seattle Mariners also made a few trades on deadline day. Outfielder Austin Jackson was sent to Seattle as part of a three-team trade involving the Rays and Tigers. Second baseman Nick Franklin went to the Tampa Bay Rays as part of the deal. Jackson is batting .270 with four homeruns and 32 RBI. Jackson is a great defensive center fielder and a veteran with playoff experience. He’s a speedy guy who gets on base and can steal.
The M’s also acquired Chris Denorfia from the Padres for two minor leaguers. He’s hitting .242 with one homerun and 16 RBI this year. Denorfia is a versatile outfielder who can play all three positions with at least 150 career starts at all three positions.
With Seattle only being three games out of the Wild Card, they had to strike a trade to keep pace with the Blue Jays and Yankees. Although their new acquisitions aren’t flashy, they are improvements, especially Jackson and they have two aces in King Felix Hernandez and Hisashi Iwakuma.
Every year it seems the Houston Astros are sellers at the deadline, and this year was no different. The Astros sent starting pitcher Jarred Cosart, outfielder Enrique Hernandez, and minor leaguer Austin Wates to the Marlins for 2013 first rounder Colin Moran, Frances Martes, and outfielder Jake Marisnick as well as a draft pick.
The Astros continue to build for the future and have had a stronger showing this year, surpassing the Texas Rangers for fourth place in the AL West.
This division is the best in baseball right now. Only two games separate the A’s and Angels with a lot of baseball left to play. The A’s made moves to create a monster pitching staff while the Angels stayed quiet after receiving Jason Grilli and Huston Street.
The A’s were definitely winners of the trade deadline, and it will be a fun second half not only in the West, but all around the league.