MLB Trade Rumors: Keep an eye on these early candidates
player. 96. . IF. Oakland Athletics. Jed Lowrie. 3
The Oakland Athletics were seen by some as a potential darkhorse in 2018, but in the early goings, it doesn’t look like they’re going to be anything special. They do have some serious prospective talent, though. Matt Olson is looking good, and Matt Chapman, in particular, looks like a budding young star. On the pitching end, Sean Manaea showed a lot of promise in 2017 and has been fantastic in his first four starts of the 2018 season. They figure to be part of the A’s future.
Jed Lowrie, on the other hand, is 34 years old. He’s not going to be part of the A’s if/when they contend in the near future. Like Castro, he could be a popular candidate to help a team upgrade in the middle infield.
Just a game shy of tying his career-high in games played (154), Lowrie slashed a robust .277/.360/.448 with 14 home runs and 69 RBI. He’s picked up where he left off, too, hitting .343 in 77 plate appearances on the year. He’s currently first in the American League and tied for first in all of baseball in runs batted in with 17.
Obviously, Lowrie isn’t going to stay on that trajectory all season, but it would be wise of Oakland to deal him while he’s swinging a hot bat. The infielder will become a free agent after this season ends, so he would be a rental. But he’s only going to make $6 million in 2018, so he wouldn’t be breaking the bank at all.
Lowrie could be an interesting fit for the St. Louis Cardinals. Despite missing the postseason in 2017, they’ve got their sights set on October baseball, and they could be a surprise challenger to the Chicago Cubs. Cardinals second baseman Kolten Wong simply hasn’t proven he can be a consistent contributor in their lineup. Lowrie’s steady bat could give them some added offense down the stretch.