A's Acquire Ben Zobrist/Yuniel Escobar

[BrewCrewFan]

The Athletics are close to acquiring Ben Zobrist and Yunel Escobar from the Rays, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle tweets. Slusser further notes that the A’s are likely to give up a big-league player plus at least one top prospect. Joel Sherman of the New York Post tweets that the Rays will get John Jaso and two prospects in the deal. One of those prospects is shortstop Daniel Robertson, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports tweets. The other is outfielder Boog Powell, tweets ESPN’s Keith Law.
The Athletics entered the offseason with needs at both middle infield positions. They addressed one of those when they acquired Marcus Semien from the White Sox in the Jeff Samardzija trade, though Semien isn’t an established big-leaguer, and the versatile Zobrist can be moved around the field if Semien emerges. Semien can play third base as well. So acquiring Zobrist and Escobar would certainly make sense from a positional perspective.
A blockbuster trade for Zobrist and Escobar would be a surprising one, however, given the general trajectory of the Athletics’ offseason. They signed DH Billy Butler early in the offseason but have spent much of the rest of the winter trading veterans, not acquiring them, sending Samardzija to Chicago, Josh Donaldson to Toronto, Brandon Moss to Cleveland, and Derek Norris to San Diego. The A’s also lost Jon Lester, Luke Gregersonand Jed Lowrie to free agency.
Acquiring Zobrist and Escobar (who the Athletics claimed last August) should help make up for that loss of talent, at least in 2015. The 33-year-old Zobrist has been one of baseball’s best players over the past several seasons, and while his offense the past two years has been down from his 2008-2012 pace, his defensive talents and ability to play second base, shortstop and outfield make him a tremendously valuable player. He will be eligible for free agency after making $7.5MM in the last option season on the team-friendly extension he signed with Tampa in 2010.
Escobar, 32, hit .258/.324/.340 in 529 plate appearances with the Rays in 2014. In the past, much of his value has come from his above-average glove, although UZR liked his defense considerably less in 2014 than it did in the past. He signed a two-year deal last April that carries him through 2016 at a total of $12MM, and he also has a $1MM buyout on a $7MM option for 2017.
 
 

 
-MLBTR

 

[Teagz]

Zobrist is like the perfect Athletic.

 

[elcheato]

In-fact, the team mascot is him 

 

[snipezo]

rays got a pretty shitty haul for zobrist. 
 
a's would look a lot scarier with donaldson in their lineup though, for sure lol. 

 

[elcheato]

Just wait till Lawrie becomes Donaldson

 

[snipezo]

That's his ceiling right now, but I'm not sure hell ever get there. I hope he does though.