MLB Trade Rumors: Tigers Deal Scott Sizemore to the A's for David Purcey

by Ray Guilfoyle on May 28, 2011 1:20 PM EDT in MLB Trade Rumors

Yesterday the Tigers traded second baseman Scott Sizemore to the Athletics for reliever David Purcey. I was surprised, at first, to see the Tigers give up on their second base prospect, but with the removal of Joaquin Benoit from the setup role, it appears they may want to try Purcey in the setup role. Benoit has been inconsistent in the setup role this year as he has given up 2 runs or more in 4 of his last 9 appearances. He has a 1-3 record with 1 save, and a 6.62 ERA AND A 1.53 WHIP. Benoit dominated last year as he had a 75-11 K/BB rate in 60+ innings with a 1.34 ERA and a 0.68 WHIP. He turned his dominating season into a 3 year deal last offseason, but has been a bust to date.

The A's get a young second baseman who could eventually replace incumbent Mark Ellis at second base. Sizemore has proved himself in the minors, as he a career triple slash line of .301-.387-.453 with 39 HRs and 63 SBs in 1,830 at bats. But the 26 year old has not performed in the majors. In 206 career at bats, spread across the last two years, he has hit just .223-.306-.306 with 3 HRs, 18 RBIs and a SB.

Replacing Sizemore at second base is Ryan Raburn who is hitting .200-.244-.338 with 4 HRs and 15 RBIs in 145 at bats this season. Last year he was much more productive, hitting .280-.340-.474 with 15 HRs and 62 RBIs. He has struck out in more than a third of his at bats this season, and had only walked 8 times, so he will need to improve his plate discipline to keep the job.

Raburn should be rostered in mixed leagues until he proves his slow start to the 2011 season is a fluke.

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I’ll have to find the link, but Ken Rosenthal reported yesterday that he was told the A’s would be converting Sizemore to 3B, which would make sense with the current makeup of the AAA and Major League teams.

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by Jason Hunt on May 28, 2011 1:38 PM EDT reply actions

Beane

Sizemore at third base? he doesn’t have the power for 3b.
do you like that decision, as an A’s fan?

Ray Guilfoyle
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by Ray Guilfoyle on May 28, 2011 2:15 PM EDT up reply actions

As an A's fan i would be super Excited.

Sizemore i heard from scouts say could be a guy who bats .300 with 20 plus hr one day. i was very suprised the Tigers gave up on him so easily, especially for Purcey

by Jt Malley on May 28, 2011 4:28 PM EDT up reply actions

Sacramento

Based on what I’ve seen here in Sacramento (A’s AAA affiliate), I actually wouldn’t mind it. They have Weeks as a long-term solution potentially at 2B, but he really shouldn’t play anywhere else on the infield because of his arm. They have some nice role players who could fill in at 3B down here in Eric Sogard and Steve Tolleson, but neither is the long-term solution either.

The other player who is down here and has been hitting well of late is Josh Donaldson, who they have been playing at 3B in addition to his original position of C. Strangely, the players who seem to have been hitting well of late at AAA have been the ones who are pretty well blocked from getting to Oakland (C, SS, 2B, and RF).

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by Jason Hunt on May 28, 2011 7:39 PM EDT up reply actions