Oakland A’s Brent Rooker seen here slugging a three run homer against the Miami Marlins pitcher in the bottom of the third inning at the Oakland Coliseum on Sat May 4, 2024. Rooker could be a hot prospect before the trade deadline if the A’s are shopping for more minor league players (AP News photo)

A’s players with the most Value for Trade Deadline

That’s Amaury News and Commentary

By Amaury Pi-González

We have passed one-third of the season as the A’s have used 47 different players, that is the most of any team to date. This is the quintessential organization in transition. Transition of cities, transition of stadiums and transition of players.

The trade deadline is July 30, and the A’s (if they chose to get involved) with definitely be sellers. Three of the A’s most valuable players in a busy trade market, could be: catcher Shea Langeliers, Designated Hitter Slugger Brent Rooker and closer extraordinaire Mason Miller.

They probably have the most value in the trade market at this time. Langeliers is a solid #1 defensive catcher who provides power in the lineup, currently hitting just .196 but with 12 home runs and 30 runs-batted-in.

He is on a pace to have an even better season than 2023 when he ended with a .205 average, 22 home runs and 63 RBI. There is always a need for a good catcher. Just ask the Chicago Cubs, who might not catch up Milwaukee but are a serious wild card contender.

Note: Hitting around .200 is not shameful anymore. Meanwhile in Atlanta, a team that have been involved with the A’s recently in big trades; (Matt Olson, Sean Murphy) and who acquired Shea Langeliers from the Braves back in March of 2022 is very possible.

The Braves need somebody with power to replace “some of the power” absent after the Braves lost the last National League MVP Ronald Acuña Jr. who went down with his second ACL tear in three years and will not play anymore this season.

Acuña is one of those truly irreplaceable players but a true slugger like Brent Rooker can maybe “heal” the power vacuum left by the Dominican superstar. The Braves well know that Rooker is on his way to another 30 home run season and maybe another All Star Game for the A’s.

He is on the list of the Braves who are buyers come July. The most coveted A’s player, that could be traded (many say will be traded) is young Mason Miller. Most contending teams dream of having the flamethrower closing games in the Postseason.

He might be the hardest to give away for the A’s, but it is one guy that could bring you a big haul of promising players and maybe even one or two productive everyday players. Miller is under control by the A’s for a few more years.

Mason Miller is making the league minimum salary of $740,000, but I am sure the A’s will move Miller if the price is right and it will be huge. This would be the most difficult trade for the A’s this season. But, who knows, maybe not. Also time will definitely tell. Nobody should be surprised if other A’s players also are traded before the July 30 deadline.

Amaury Pi Gonzalez is the lead play by play voice on the Oakland A’s Spanish radio network at 1010 KIQI San Francisco and 990 KATD Pittsburg and does News and Commentary at http://www.sportsradioservice.com