MLB rumors: 5 players the Oakland Athletics should trade away

OAKLAND, CA - JUNE 15: Oakland Athletics starting pitcher Frankie Montas (47) before the regular season baseball game between the Oakland Athletics and Seattle Mariners on June 15, 2019, at O.co Coliseum in Oakland, CA. (Photo by Samuel Stringer/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /

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3. 1B/DH Mark Canha

Leaving aside a .232 batting average so far this year, Mark Canha’s power (10 home runs, .880 OPS,139 OPS+) and position utility (13 games at first base, 16 games in the outfield) carry his value.

As a right-handed hitter with some power, Canha is easy to tab as a platoon player, but his resume tells a different story. He has pretty even career splits against right and left-handed pitching (.431 slugging percentage and .753 OPS vs. .440 slugging percentage and .735 OPS, respectively), which have actually tilted toward right-handers so far in 2019 (.929 OPS, compared to a .818 OPS against left-handers).

Canha is making a shade over $2 million this year, with his final year of arbitration eligibility next year. That makes him a decent candidate to stay in Oakland going forward, as he crosses into his 30s and other teams automatically dismiss his potential value. But multiple other teams could see an appealing offensive piece here as the trade deadline approaches, and if you’re the A’s it would hard to turn down an offer of a mid-tier prospect from someone’s solid farm system.

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