A's, Rangers make 4-player trade
The Oakland Athletics traded former first-round pick Michael Choice to the Texas Rangers for veteran outfielder Craig Gentry and right-handed pitcher Josh Lindblom, the clubs announced Tuesday.
The A's added outfield depth in giving up Choice and minor league infielder Chris Bostick.
Gentry, 30, is a career .280 hitter, a stolen base threat and can play any outfield spot. Gentry, one of the fastest players in the majors, has spent five years in the majors, all with the Rangers. He hit .304 in 2012 and came back with a .280 season in 2013.
Lindblom, 26, will be pitching for his fourth team in four years. He was strictly a reliever with the Dodgers and Phillies in 2011-12, but he made five starts in eight appearances for the Rangers in 2013. He was 1-3 with a 5.46 ERA for Texas and has a career record of 5-8, 3.82.
Choice will be on the Rangers' major-league roster, and Bostick will be assigned to Class A Myrtle Beach.
The 24-year-old Choice was the 10th overall selection by the A's in the 2010 draft. He made his major league debut in September and was 5-for-18 (.278) in nine games, making two starts in right field and one in left. He was a Pacific Coast League All-Star at Sacramento, batting .302 with 14 homers and 89 RBIs in 132 games before being called up.
Bostick, 20, hit .282 with 14 homers, 89 RBIs and 25 stolen bases in Class A Beloit. He was drafted in the 44th round by Oakland in 2011.
