Trade Deadline Primer Excerpt: Oakland A's

The Athletics made no secret of their intention to tank this year and they've followed through brilliantly, with a 106-loss pace through the All-Star break. Oddly, they willingly embarked on this futile path while holding onto their ultra-valuable ace Frankie Montas, who's heading for free agency after next season. Montas figures to be one of the biggest prizes available at this deadline, and the Twins were known to be very interested in him during the offseason.

High-upside prospects of all kinds will be on the menu for general manager David Forst. And he'll have his pick from plenty.

Top Target
Frankie Montas, RH Starter
A recent shoulder scare threw Oakland's hold-and-wait gambit with Montas into great peril, but he was cleared to make his next start after the All-Star break and looked totally fine when returning to the mound, so it appears they dodged a bullet. They are expected to deal the 29-year-old righty to the highest bidder.

Montas might be priciest starter realistically available at this deadline, because he's got ace potential that he's currently living up to, and he's under control for another year. Ponying up the talent necessary could be a tough pill to swallow given the shoulder concerns.

Other Targets of Interest
Lou Trivino, RH Reliever
His 6.59 ERA at the break won't cause much excitement, but the 30-year-old's underlying metrics paint a much better picture: 12.8 K/9, .468 BABIP, 3.22 FIP. Controllable through 2024.

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Sean Murphy, Catcher
Good two-way catcher with three more years of affordable team control remaining. A's haven't been shy about trading core players, but the price might be too high with Ryan Jeffers still likely to be the guy long-term.

Sleeper Target
James Kaprielian, RH Starter
He's having a brutal year, with a 1-5 record and 5.09 ERA at the break, but he's a controllable buy-low guy with a good slider. Maybe the Twins believe they could get him back to his level from 2021, when he was a solid starter, or maybe they feel they can unleash him in the bullpen.

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