The Athletics' front office speaks candidly about potential roster moves as Monday's trade deadline approaches.
The Athletics may not have the pieces to make a big splash at the trade deadline. That doesn't mean they'll be completely silent over the coming days, but with the number of injuries the club has been dealing with, just filling out a roster filled with big-league talent has become the challenge.
Of course, the A's could move a relief pitcher, or an infielder, but they are not expected to make a big-time move that tears apart the roster. That means no deals for Tyler Soderstrom, folks.
A's GM David Forst appeared on A's Cast, and was asked about the team's plans for the deadline. His statements echo the general sentiment around the club this week.
"We have built this team for the long haul," Forst said on A's Cast. "I'm not looking to break this team up. Just because we're not in a playoff race right now doesn't mean we're selling off pieces. I think this team needs some time to breathe. 2027, 2028, whatever the year is, there are a lot of guys here that will still be part of those teams."
He added that he doesn't feel compelled to make a deal just because there is a deadline coming up on Monday. Even with the team's underperformance, Forst still believes that this same group can continue to grow and develop, becoming more of what the team envisions in the coming years.
"I don't think you're going to see a whole lot of action until the last minute," Forst said of the deadline as a whole.
With the A's lacking available top-of-the-market trade pieces, if the deadline is supposed to move slowly, that could mean less opportunity for GMs who miss out on top targets to turn to the A's.
The pieces the A's could end up moving would be Jeff McNeil on the offensive side, or potentially José Suarez out of the bullpen. McNeil has a $15.75 million club option for next season that will likely be declined following the reemergence of Zack Gelof as an everyday option, as well as Joshua Kuroda-Grauer's impressive play in his time with the club.
Suarez was traded to the A's from the Seattle Mariners for cash after the M's designated Suarez for assignment in May.
Neither McNeil nor Suarez would be likely to bring a big return.
The bigger pieces the A's could move would be infielder Darell Hernaiz, who is loved in the clubhouse but just hasn't carved out a role on the roster. Even with all of the injuries the club is facing, Hernaiz remains in Triple-A, which looks to be a sign of his standing in the team's plans.
Denzel Clarke's defense would be a tantalizing addition for a number of clubs, but his inability to stay on the field and his lack of offensive performance thus far would likely limit his trade value. The decision there would be whether the A's could find a role for him to pump up that value before a trade.
The decision they'd likely be facing would be between Clarke and Henry Bolte, with either being a good trade piece. Bolte has shown more offensive production and has good defense in his own right, just not an otherworldly glove like Clarke. With Soderstrom and Lawrence Butler already signed to extensions, there may not be room for both Clarke and Bolte long-term.
