The Oakland Athletics have acquired Khris Davis from the Milwaukee Brewers in a trade that will send the Brewers catching prospect Jacob Nottingham and right-handed pitcher Bubba Derby in exchange for the slugging outfielder. In order for the A’s to make room on the roster for Davis, they had to designate Sean Nolin for assignment.
Davis, 28, had a strong season in 2015, in which he hit .247/.323/.505 (122 OPS+) with 16 doubles, 27 home runs and 66 RBI’s in 121 games. In 321 games, Davis averages 30 home runs for every 162 games he plays.
With the power hitting Davis playing the outfield, A’s manager Bob Melvin will have to set his line-up based more on matchups considering the depth they have in the outfield now. You have Billy Burns who plays centerfield on a regular basis, Josh Reddick, Mark Canha, Billy Butler and Coco Crisp who shares the same spot in the outfield as Davis.
The catching prospect the Brewers received in return is considered a highly regarded prospect. Nottingham hit .316/.372/.505 with 33 doubles and 17 home runs in 119 games last season while making his way from Class-A to Class-A-Advanced. Oakland originally acquired Nottingham from the Astros in the Scott Kazmir trade last summer. The Brewers will more than likely start Nottingham at Double-A to start the season.
Derby, who’s only 21-years-old, had an impressive 1.21 ERA in 14 appearances last season between Rookie ball and Class-A. In 37 1/3 innings, the young right-hander struck out 47 batters. Scouts appear to be high on the young pitcher.
With Davis no longer on the Brewers, it opens up left field for Domingo Santana. As a rookie last season, the 22-year-old hit .238/.337/.431 with seven doubles and eight home runs in 187 at bats. The Brewers acquired Santana in the Carlos Gomez trade.
The 26-year-old lefty, Sean Nolin, who was designated for assignment by the A’s, was part of last winters Josh Donaldson trade. He saw little MLB action last season, allowing 17 earned runs and striking out only 15 batters in 29 innings. Nolin did earn a promotion from Triple-A after posting a 2.66 ERA with 7.2K/9 against 3.6BB/9 over 47 1/3 innings.
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