Oakland A’s Rumors: Jeff Samardzija, Scott Kazmir Available In Trades?
By Hayden Kane
Could the Oakland Athletics be willing to trade starting pitchers Jeff Samardzija and Scott Kazmir as they gauge the MLB trade market this off-season?
The Oakland A’s signaled loud and clear to the baseball world that they were “all in” for the 2014 season and their push to the playoffs. They traded coveted shortstop prospect Addison Russell as part of a deal that landed them Jeff Samardzija and Jason Hammel. Would that plan really change just one year later?
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Ken Rosenthal reports that the A’s are willing to listen on trade offers for Samardzija and starting pitcher Scott Kazmir. They might not be pushing to trade them, necessarily, but they are open to talks in a way that they are not with third baseman Josh Donaldson.
"The A’s would listen if teams inquired on pitchers such as right-hander Jeff Samardzija and lefty Scott Kazmir. However, they will not shop either and are adamant about keeping Donaldson, who is under club control for four more years, sources say.As always, the Athletics are realistic about their ability to compete long term. They also know that the AL West is only getting stronger."
Samardzija is coming off a season in which he went a misleading 7-13 in 33 starts. He was outstanding, however, posting a 2.99 ERA, pitching 219.2 innings, and striking out hitters at a 8.3 K/9 clip. He is under contract through the 2015 season.
Kazmir was also great in 2014, going 15-9 with a 3.55 ERA in 32 starts and 190.1 innings pitched. He is also under contract through 2015, and could be a potential sell-high candidate for the A’s given his injury history.
If the A’s did trade either pitcher, it would seemingly have to be in a swap that lands them big league ready talent. Otherwise, it would feel awfully backwards to trade the organization’s top prospect, only to strip down that roster for prospects the very next off-season.
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