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What, you wanted to spend your Saturday relaxing at home, focusing on today’s big Washington-USC football game?
Jerry Dipoto has other plans.
Source: Seattle acquires Danny Valencia from Oakland.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) November 12, 2016
Hearing Valencia coming to Seattle in exchange for Minor League RH Paul Blackburn. No confirmation from clubs yet though. https://t.co/mniiOoKM2n
— Greg Johns (@GregJohnsMLB) November 12, 2016
Blackburn was the lesser-known, lesser-loved half of the Mike Montgomery trade. He made seven starts in AA Jackson after coming over from the Cubbies. The ceiling isn’t exactly high on Blackburn - not much more than high-level organizational depth.
Valencia, meanwhile, represents a nice right-handed option either in a corner outfield spot or even at first base. He posted an OPS+ of 119 a year ago, slashing .287/.346/.446 for the A’s, but played some atrocious defense at third. Good news - we already have a third baseman! So look for him to play elsewhere.
He has only one year remaining under team control, and as a player going into his age-32 season, isn’t exactly a growth piece. Given the cost, however, that’s easily acceptable.
More analysis to come, but Valencia is valuable for a team sorely lacking in right-handed hitters, and he could easily platoon at first with Dan Vogelbach - who also came over in that MiMo deal.