Elephant Rumblings: A’s flip Yonny Hernandez for cash considerations
MLB news roundup
Happy Friday, Athletics Nation!
It’s easy come, easy go for Yonny Hernandez. The A’s claimed the 25-year-old infielder off waivers from the Arizona Diamondbacks last month, only to designate him for assignment after signing Jace Peterson and Aledmys Díaz last week. The Los Angeles Dodgers, seemingly keen to shore up some recently depleted position player depth, acquired Hernandez from the A’s yesterday for cash considerations.
Hernandez doesn’t have a lot to show yet in 194 MLB plate appearances, through which he has slashed .198/.293/.228. But his walk and strikeout rates are above average, and Darragh McDonald at MLB Trade Rumors noted yesterday that Hernandez is a versatile infield and outfield defender. These attributes apparently got the Dodgers’ attention.
On one hand, this claim-and-flip is pure gravy for the A’s, who have generated some as yet undisclosed sum out of nothing from the deals. On the other hand, when a perennial World Series contender places value in a player, one has to wonder if the Dodgers are seeing something in Hernandez that is eluding other organizations’ scouting operations. The Dodgers did recently turn A’s castoff Max Muncy into an All-Star, after all.
We’ll just have to hope that the A’s scouting proves most prescient and that Hernandez was indeed a good choice to move along to make room for Peterson and Diaz, while unbeknownst to everyone else, Oakland’s newly acquired Esteury Ruiz is destined to become Rickey 2.0 in the next season or so.
A’s Coverage:
- Kawahara: Aledmys Díaz eyes bigger role with A’s, chance to make an impact ($)
- McDonald: Dodgers Acquire Yonny Hernandez
MLB News & Interest:
- Buchanan: Faced with an ALS diagnosis, Sarah Langs — MLB’s research star — keeps going ($)
- Franco: Yankees To Sign Carlos Rodon
- Rosenthal: Where will MLB draw the line if it determines teams are using long-term deals to beat luxury tax? ($)
- Law: Giants should see strong return on investment in Carlos Correa ($)
- Shea: New Giant Carlos Correa admitted guilt in Astros’ sign-stealing scandal ($)
- McDonald: Dodgers To Sign Noah Syndergaard To One-Year Deal
- Heyman: Yankees struggling to unload Aaron Hicks, Josh Donaldson
- Franco: Twins Drawing Trade Interest On Sonny Gray, Kenta Maeda
- Today in Baseball History
Best of Twitter:
Roster moves.
A’S RECENT MOVES: IF Yonny Hernandez to Dodgers for cash, IFs Ernie Clement & Vimael Machin DFA’d, RHP Deolis Guerra & C Yohel Pozo signed to minor league deals & sent to LV, IFs Aledmys Diaz & Jace Peterson signed by A’s as free agents… https://t.co/joKXkzbDRy
— Athletics Farm (@AthleticsFarm) December 16, 2022
Brownie a full time DH next season?
With the additions of OF Esteury Ruiz, 1B Ryan Noda and Jace Peterson & Aledmys Diaz, both of whom can pretty much play anywhere, it's entirely possible we could end up seeing Seth Brown as a full-time DH next season, especially if A's add another outfielder or first baseman.
— Athletics Farm (@AthleticsFarm) December 15, 2022
Substitutions. Upgrades? We shall see.
Sure there are more additions to come, but at this point, basically seeing RHH Aledmys Diaz as replacing RHH Pinder, Jace Peterson replacing Machin as a LHH 3B, and Noda replacing Vogt/Lowrie, who appeared in a combined 90 games at 1B & DH, as a LHH 1B/DH option.
— Athletics Farm (@AthleticsFarm) December 15, 2022
We should also expect some of the prospective starters to move to the pen.
With the A's apparently planning to give Puk a shot at starting, there's currently just 7 relief pitchers on the 40-man roster – RHPs Acevedo, Jimenez, Jackson, Cyr & recently-acquired Chad Smith & LHPs Moll & Snead. Expecting some more additions before the offseason's through.
— Athletics Farm (@AthleticsFarm) December 15, 2022
Guerra still an Athletic.
Guerra may have been the A’s most consistent reliever in 2021 https://t.co/uzT2CSkREZ
— Melissa Lockard (@melissalockard) December 16, 2022
Newbs.
New faces in Green and Gold.
— Oakland A's (@Athletics) December 16, 2022
I see what you did there ^_^
I should get “Cash Considerations” on the back of an A’s jersey. https://t.co/4KxV4Zr8AI
— A’s fan Chris ⚾ (@MrChris80) December 15, 2022
HBD, Hal!
Happy birthday brotha and thank you for posting and sharing with us! Cheers!!!
— Last Dive Bar (@lastdivebar) December 15, 2022
*nice set up over your shoulder
Hi Hal! pic.twitter.com/Gi7wBrgrEI
Show him the money.
Fourth contract of at least $162M for a Scott Boras client this offseason (Correa $350M, Bogaerts $280M, Nimmo $162M, Rodón $162M). Brings Boras’ free-agent total for 2022-23 to $1.172B. https://t.co/a9QOEmFPED
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) December 16, 2022