The Oakland Athletics seem to be prepared to sell several critical assets, including first baseman Matt Olson. The New York Yankees have had discussions with Oakland about acquiring Olson, according to MLB Network’s John Marosi. While there is still a high probability they retain Anthony Rizzo after a successful season with the Bombers after the trade deadline, Olson is an elite prospect with incredible potential.
Olson has two more years left on his contract with arbitration until he becomes an unrestricted free agent in 2024 at 30-years-old. Olson is coming off an impressive season, recording a .271 average with 39 homers and 111 RBIs. He hosted a career low 16.8% strikeout rate and 13.1% walk rate.
The star first baseman is one of the most potent sluggers in the game, one the Yankees would love. By all accounts, he is an above-average defender and elite hitter, also posting 79 singles and 35 doubles this past season. A lefty hitter like that in their stadium with a short right porch would be valuable. Defensively, Olsen recorded a .995 fielding percentage with six errors over 1338.2 innings.
Mock trade for the Yankees to land Athletics’ 1B Matt Olson:
-Luke Voit
The Yankees should think about maximizing Luke Voit at this point in time, considering his low cost and solid production. In 68 games this past season, he hit .239 with 11 homers and 35 RBIs. Injuries derailed his campaign after an impressive abbreviated campaign in 2020.
If the Yankees don’t have Voit in mind as their starter, they are better off utilizing him as a trade piece. DJ LeMahieu can fill the1B spot if need be due to injury.
-Deivi Garcia
Garcia still has value as a potential solid starting pitcher in the future, and the Athletics might see him as a respectable name to include in the deal. The Yankees are preparing to spend and have several starting pitchers coming back from injury, so Garcia’s services likely will be needed in the short term.
MLB’s report stated that Garcia has inconsistencies, putting too much effort behind his pitches, which has led to accuracy issues. He fails to accurately throw his fastball, hurting his efficiency. After impressing at the MLB level in 2019, his 2020 production was inferior.
Garcia’s best pitch in the big leagues thus far has been a low-80s changeup with fade. He was more consistent with his delivery and threw more strikes than ever before in 2020, then posted the worst walk rate of his career this summer. He’s just 5-foot-9 and 163 pounds and throws with some effort, so there are some concerns about whether he can maintain his stuff and hold up over 30 starts per season.
-Luis Medina
Another solid prospect for the Bombers is Luis Medina, who was hitting triple digits in his teenage years. His upside is tremendous, but he is still a little while away from making an impact in the big leagues. If the Yankees want to make a run at the World Series now, they need to start cashing in on some of their prospects for players who can make an impact immediately.
Medina is athletic and has no glaring mechanical flaws, so there’s no obvious reason he shouldn’t have average control. He has had trouble repeating his delivery in the past, though some observers believe his problems have been more mental than physical and he may be turning a corner as he has matured and learned to trust his stuff.
What do you think of this perspective trade package? It wouldn’t impact their starting team whatsoever, but it would take a few solid prospects out of rotation. Comment here! [wpdiscuz-feedback id=”du1vt67v1u” question=”Please leave a feedback on this” opened=”0″][/wpdiscuz-feedback]