MLB Rumors: Braves trade target, Trea Turner on Dodgers departure, Cubs excuse

MLB Rumors: Could Braves make another trade with the A’s?

The Oakland Athletics are a sinking ship on their way to Las Vegas. They might as well gamble.

The A’s are the worst team in baseball by a mile and could have more assets to move to contending teams at the MLB Trade Deadline. One of those assets should be Brent Rooker, who at 28 years old is having the best season of his career by far. Rooker is slashing .353/.465/.779 with an OPS of 1.245. None of his previous seasons have come close to replicating this kind of production, which means Oakland should deal him while his value is highest.

Rooker can play both left field and designated hitter, of course, which makes him a great fit for a common Oakland trade suitor — the Atlanta Braves. Atlanta is trotting out the likes of Marcell Ozuna, Sam Hilliard and more to fill a hole that should have been addressed this offseason. It’s not often we can criticize Alex Anthopoulos and get away with it, but Ozuna is slashing .085/.194/.203 in 18 games. He’s among the worst hitters in all of baseball, and because of that has the worst contract on the team.

Rooker is a Mississippi State alum just like former A’s star Matt Olson. Oakland has already traded Olson and Sean Murphy to Atlanta in two separate deals which don’t look all that great for the A’s as of this writing. Perhaps Rooker will change that.