A's Transactions Thread

[RickD]

Discuss and Post A's Transactions Here

[Wookie]

The A’s acquired David DeJesus from the Royals for right-hander Vin Mazzaro and left-hander Justin Marks, the teams announced today. Royals GM Dayton Moore says Mazzaro will join the team’s rotation and Marks will start the season at high Class A Wilmington.

Mazzaro, 24, posted a 4.27 ERA in 122 1/3 innings for the A's this year with 5.8 K/9 and 3.7 BB/9. He became expendable when Oakland won the bidding for Japanese right-hander Hisashi Iwakuma earlier in the week. If the A's reach a deal with Iwakuma, he'll join Brett Anderson, Trevor Cahill, Gio Gonzalez and Dallas Braden in the team's rotation.

DeJesus batted .318/.384/.443 in 394 plate appearances this year, but he missed the final two months of the season because he required surgery on his right thumb. The 30-year-old, who has spent all of his eight-year career with the Royals, has experience in left, center and right. He joins Rajai Davis, Coco Crisp, Ryan Sweeney, Conor Jackson and Jack Cust in a crowded Oakland outfield that could clear up if Jackson and Cust are traded or non-tendered.

Marks, 22, posted a 4.87 ERA as a starter in the lower minors in 2010. The 2009 third rounder posted 9.5 K/9 and 3.4 BB/9 as he picked up his first significant experience as a pro.

DeJesus will earn $6MM in 2011 and qualify for free agency after the season. Mazzaro may qualify for arbitration as a Super Two next winter, but he cheap for now and won't hit free agency until after the 2015 campaign.

-via MLBtr

[Fat Tony]

Nice move by both teams here, the A's didn't need Mazarro as they already have a pretty damn solid rotation and they get back a pretty good player in Dejesus. The Royals on the other hand get back a decent young arm and get rid of a guy they've been shopping for awhile now.

[Uptown]

A's rotation is def already pretty good without him, so no sweat there at all. DeJesus will fit in well there in the Oakland outfield.

[RickD]

A's Hideki Matsui will be going to the A's as part of a 1 year deal!

[CoreyR]

The Mariners are trying to trade David Aardsma, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. As Rosenthal points out, the reliever will earn a raise from his 2010 salary of $2.75MM when he and the Mariners determine his upcoming salary through the arbitration process.
The Red Sox have missed out on a number of free agent relievers, so it would not be surprising to see them try to reacquire Aardsma, who turns 29 later this month. Kevin Gregg, who has drawn interest from a number of clubs, such as the Orioles and Red Sox, is among the possible replacements for Aardsma, Rosenthal reports.
Like Gregg, Aardsma generally posts high strikeout, walk and save totals. In 49 2/3 innings last year, he posted a 3.44 ERA with 8.9 K/9 and 4.5 BB/9. Aardsma has likely seen his trade value jump because of the rising cost of free agent relievers, as MLBTR's Mike Axisa explains here.

He's a pretty good reliever, one of the best available. He is just pretty pricey, don't know if the Mariners can pull off a deal to trade him. Might get you a so so prospect and a rookie class prospect.

[CoreyR]

The A's and Nationals have agreed to a deal that will send Josh Willingham to Oakland, according to ESPN.com's Buster Olney (on Twitter). The Nationals will acquire two young players, one of whom has major league experience, according to Olney. Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reports (on Twitter) that the teams are now exchanging medical information.
The A's will now feature Willingham, Coco Crisp and David DeJesus in their outfield with Ryan Sweeney and Conor Jackson available off the bench. Willingham, DeJesus and Hideki Matsui should provide the A's offense with some extra thump. Oakland ranked 11th in the American League in runs scored and 13th in the league in home runs in 2010.
Willingham earned $4.6MM in 2010 and will go to arbitration one last time this winter before hitting free agency after the 2011 season. The 31-year-old batted .268/.389/.459 in 450 plate appearances last year before he went on the disabled list and underwent left knee surgery.


Though Willingham is less than a year away from free agency, he would be open to an extension with the A's, according to Rosenthal (on Twitter).
Rosenthal first reported that the sides were in serious discussions about a deal. He suggests the Nationals could use their savings to pursue a starter, a first baseman or a reliever.

I was hoping the Dodgers would go after him to put him in the flux at LF, but he has been acquired by the A's. Nice pick-up by them.

[Mudge]

There not much to say about Willingham's defense (read: below average, but then it may be that he is replacing Jack Cust, who was wretched in the field), but he's a pretty consistent .850 OPS guy (.375/.475).

That would appear to be why Oakland brought him in.

Any word on the guys they gave up?

[Mudge]

He's a pretty good reliever, one of the best available. He is just pretty pricey, don't know if the Mariners can pull off a deal to trade him. Might get you a so so prospect and a rookie class prospect.

I'd be real hesitant about Aardsma, especially since his 2010 season was much weaker than it looked perhaps. His HR rate went up. His K rate went down. His FIP was 4.01 and through it all, he was pretty lucky with a .235 BABIP against.

[Buccos13]

The Oakland outfield is pretty stacked!