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Mon Jul 06, 2009 12:57 am EDT

Trade spin: Scott Hairston to the A's

By Andy Behrens

http://a323.yahoofs.com/ymg/ept_sports_fantasy_experts__14/ept_sports_fantasy_experts-115402928-1246851752.jpg?ymoawhBDmD.Jxx0RBreakout fantasy asset Scott Hairston(notes) was dealt to the Oakland A's on Sunday for minor league pitchers Craig Italiano, Ryan Webb and a player to be named. 

The 29-year-old Hairston is under control through 2011, and he entered the day with a .911 OPS and 10 homers in 55 games this season. (No small achievement in Petco Park). Hairston has swiped eight bases in nine attempts, too, although he wasn't a serious base-stealer in the minors.

By moving to Oakland, Hairston is trading one poor hitting environment for another and one low-scoring lineup for another. His rest-of-season fantasy value shouldn't change massively, and he'll continue to hit in a respectable lineup spot. (Second? Cleanup? Fifth? We'll soon see). Things get murky for Travis Buck(notes), since he's the Oakland outfielder most likely to lose at-bats.

Could this deal just be an appetizer while we wait for a Matt Holliday(notes) trade?

That's not too far-fetched, but the team isn't making any promises. Via the Oakland Tribune:

While some may speculate that adding Hairston makes it easier to withstand a possible trade of free-agent-to-be Matt Holliday, [assistant GM David] Forst said that wasn't the team's thinking.

"We made this deal independent of anything else that may or may not be going on," Forst said. "I'm not going to guess what or if anything comes next. (But) I wouldn't read too much into it as far as something else coming down."

The Padres have a coverage plan, and 22-year-old Kyle Blanks(notes) is a substantial piece. From MLB.com's Corey Brock:

For the time being, the Padres will use Chase Headley(notes) in left field, Tony Gwynn(notes) in center field and Will Venable(notes) and Kyle Blanks in right. Blanks, who also plays left field and first base, has been taking fly balls in right field the past three days before games. 

That's relatively good news for those of us who've stashed Blanks in N.L.-only leagues. (More details on the big fella here). There's no reasonable way to spin the Hairston trade as good news for Adrian Gonzalez(notes), though. Baseball's worst offense just took a small step back. Of course it's not like Gonzalez's owners just realized that he wasn't particularly well-fortified; you saw that red flag when you drafted him. 

The minor leaguers acquired by San Diego aren't fantasy relevant at the moment. Italiano will likely head to Single-A Lake Elsinore, while Webb will reportedly join the Padres in Arizona on Monday. The 23-year-old righty has appeared in 31 games at Triple-A this season, delivering a 4.34 ERA, two saves and 39 Ks in 45.2 innings. 

Before you declare a winner in the trade, remember that there's a PTBNL involved. This thing can't yet be reasonably judged. The Pads are apparently excited about the nameless dude, too. This from the San Diego Union Tribune:

[GM Kevin] Towers said the "player to be named later," could be the key element of the trade for the Padres. Towers said the Padres can pick from two pitchers offered by the A’s. The deal will be completed by the end of July.

We know the A's have plenty of talented young arms, and MLB.com reports that one of the two possible PsTBNL has major league service time. Feel free to offer guesses in comments. Any pitcher moving from the A.L. into Petco gets a value bump.

---

Photo via Getty Images 

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56 Comments

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  1. albonycee
    1. Posted by albonycee Mon Jul 06, 2009 1:06 am EDT

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    frst
  2. Lee Majors
    2. Posted by Lee Majors Mon Jul 06, 2009 1:13 am EDT

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    First to post with vowels.
  3. Sheriff McRawDawg
    3. Posted by Sheriff McRawDawg Mon Jul 06, 2009 1:18 am EDT

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    "frst" ? you must've banged that out real quick! can't mess with that! not
  4. Sheriff McRawDawg
    4. Posted by Sheriff McRawDawg Mon Jul 06, 2009 1:19 am EDT

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    First... ?
  5. Sixto Lezcano
    5. Posted by Sixto Lezcano Mon Jul 06, 2009 1:23 am EDT

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    gio gonzalez?
  6. Arthur Fonzarelli
    6. Posted by Arthur Fonzarelli Mon Jul 06, 2009 1:23 am EDT

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    vin mazzaro!
  7. potluck
    7. Posted by potluck Mon Jul 06, 2009 1:24 am EDT

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    forth
  8. potluck
    8. Posted by potluck Mon Jul 06, 2009 1:25 am EDT

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    ummmm, 8th?
  9. Patrick T
    9. Posted by Patrick T Mon Jul 06, 2009 1:28 am EDT

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    Billy Beane does it again! Oakland will in the playoffs either this year or next! Unless of course Texas gets pitching....
    Seriously look at the heart of the underperforming A's lineup!
    Orlando Cabrera
    Cust
    Hairston
    Holiday
    Giambi
    Kurt Suzuki
    Travis Buck/ Ryan Sweeney(whoever hits better gets more regular playing time)
    Mark Ellis/Bobby Crosby/Nomar(Jemile weeks in 2010)
    3b Nomar Garcipara(2010 a 3rd basemen acquired cheaply such as dallas mcpherson)
  10. D C
    10. Posted by D C Mon Jul 06, 2009 1:29 am EDT

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    Perhaps Edgar Gonzalez so they can add to their collection of Edgar Gonzalezes.
  11. Eric
    11. Posted by Eric Mon Jul 06, 2009 1:30 am EDT

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    Dagnabit. Hairston gets out of SD only to go to the Mausoleum. Gets tougher AL pitching as well. Sounds like cause for a slight reduction in value for now.
  12. Arthur Fonzarelli
    12. Posted by Arthur Fonzarelli Mon Jul 06, 2009 1:31 am EDT

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    Not to revive the July 4th spirit or anything...but...Give me Dan Haren's June 30th Quality Start or give me death!
  13. John
    13. Posted by John Mon Jul 06, 2009 1:32 am EDT

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    My guess is Sean Gallagher (who is on the 15-day DL), can't be traded until he comes off it, and appears to be out of the A's plans.
  14. Tom Bos Jr.
    14. Posted by Tom Bos Jr. Mon Jul 06, 2009 1:40 am EDT

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    Hairston is not exactly a phenom. He's never finished a 100 AB season with better than a .250 AVG or 17 HRs at the age of 29. I can't imagine the A's are selling the farm for this kid. The PTBNL is surely a lackluster name
  15. David
    15. Posted by David Mon Jul 06, 2009 1:43 am EDT

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    hairston got traded bc he blew it in tthe dodger extra inning loss...there were runners on 2nd and 3rd w one out..he had a 2-0 count in the bottom of the 10th..he swung at a pitch out of the zone and sure enough popped out to loney in foul territory..im sure the padres had it w him after that selfish act..all he had to do was take ball three then take the walk w 1st open or wait for a good pitch to hit..at least he got to stay in california.
  16. cs
    16. Posted by cs Mon Jul 06, 2009 1:52 am EDT

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    COME ON BEHRENS surely there is more exciting sports news out there other than what should be fantasy free agent SCOTT 'size 9 head' HAIRSTON
  17. jason
    17. Posted by jason Mon Jul 06, 2009 1:55 am EDT

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    David - have zero idea what you are talking about. Hairston has been the most clutch player for the Padres hitting wise since the day we got him from Arizona. The guy has been great for the Pads and was traded only because SD probably thought that his value couldn't get much higher. He can play CF and LF can hit, and has pop, ESPECIALLY late in the game with the game on the line. If Hairston would be traded for someone like that, Kooz would have been gone about 100 times over. Get your facts straight.
    Sucks or Hairston that he's going to Oakland. I doubt the Pads will get anything of value for him but there's always hope.
  18. Ronzo
    18. Posted by Ronzo Mon Jul 06, 2009 2:21 am EDT

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    who cares? the guy is a bum!
  19. Patrick T
    19. Posted by Patrick T Mon Jul 06, 2009 2:24 am EDT

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    Hmm also going by the ESPN ballpark factor http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/stats/parkfactor, you can safely predict a 12.5%-25% increase in HR frequency from Scott Hairston. This of course come at expense of some doubles.
  20. Marty B
    20. Posted by Marty B Mon Jul 06, 2009 3:11 am EDT

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    good luck scotty!
  21. J Lig
    21. Posted by J Lig Mon Jul 06, 2009 3:18 am EDT

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    As an Adrian Gonzalez owner, I'm sad to see Shrek go and the SD offense get even worse.... if that's even possible.
  22. the guy
    22. Posted by the guy Mon Jul 06, 2009 4:55 am EDT

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    The quote from Forst sounds like standard boilerplate that prefaces a move. Hairston is "once-we-move-Holliday" insurance, believe that.
  23. jay g
    23. Posted by jay g Mon Jul 06, 2009 4:57 am EDT

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    PTBNL will be Jerry Blevins.. mark my words
  24. Ken S
    24. Posted by Ken S Mon Jul 06, 2009 5:51 am EDT

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    I've seen some speculation that the PTBNL might be Sean Gallagher, who the Cubs traded to the A's last summer in the Rich Harden deal (a few posts above mention this possibility too)
    if the Padres could get him, that might be quite a cool move; S. Hairston is an underrated slugger-type and a solid, capable player, but hardly a star -- he has yet to hit for a good AVG in the majors, but also hasn't had a complete season of MLB games, so we haven't seen completely what he might be capable of hitting, other than a fair bunch of HRs
    this trade is interesting for both parties, as it could help both teams - hopefully win/win, particularly if Gallagher is the pitcher the Pads receive; Hairston will add pop in the A's lineup, and Gallagher is a strong upside pitcher (I read someone even compared him to a young Chris Carpenter--and while that's very high praise, he's still just 23, so young for an MLB pitcher and with career ahead of him)
  25. Bernie S
    25. Posted by Bernie S Mon Jul 06, 2009 8:14 am EDT

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    POST 17 BY cs- *COME ON BEHRENS surely there is more exciting sports news out there other than what should be fantasy free agent SCOTT 'size 9 head' HAIRSTON*
    Apparently you play in a 3 team league and can get by without having to take Hairston in your lineup. I'm in a 20 team league and Hariston has been an important part to my team. I'm glad there is reporting on fringe players. Some of us want a challenge and play in deeper leagues.

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