Faced with an abundance of first base candidates and just one job, the Athletics are shopping first baseman Brandon Allen, tweets ESPN.com's Jerry Crasnick. The 25-year-old has excelled throughout the minor leagues, but has yet to produce at the plate in three Major League stints with the Diamondbacks and A's.
Allen posted a .200/.277/.377 line with six home runs in 195 MLB plate appearances last year to go along with a .991 OPS in 419 minor league plate appearances. The A's, who obtained Allen for Brad Ziegler last summer, also have Daric Barton, Chris Carter and Kila Ka'aihue in the mix at first base.
If the A's haven't already called the Rays, Indians, Pirates and Brewers about Allen, I doubt they're too far down the list of clubs that GM Billy Beane and assistant GM David Forst will get in touch with. The White Sox selected the left-handed hitter in the fifth round of the 2004 draft and traded him to Arizona for Tony Pena in 2009.
I don’t see the Brewers in on him. They’ve got Gamel who has a similar pedigree.
Yep, the Brewers could use a righty version of Allen. But we’re set with Gamel at this point.
OAK receices: RHP Wade Davis
TBR receives: 1B Brandon Allen
BAM! Imma genious!
I could only wish we could get that kind of return for him
i would guess more of a project-prospect or reliever type for him though
Allen for Schwimer. Phils can try him at first and OF in AAA. They need depth in the minors and have a surplus of young, cheap relievers.
I would LOVE that trade. Problem is, it’s just not gonna happen.
lol, only if the Rays get to move to San Jose instead of the A’s
He’s undervalued right now; maybe the Rays will try to get him. Sean Rodriguez was sucking with the Angels when he came in the Scott Kazmir trade. Who knows, maybe they’ll give up Wade for him, though I doubt it. Having no options really hinders his value.
The Rays could trade a Wade David baseball card for the guy, so why trade the real thing?
Noooooo! this is a guy we should hang on to and give another chance..
Except you already have Daric Barton, the most underrated 1B in the game?
it’s still not determined whether 2010 was a fluke or not, i’d give him another year before saying he’s a fluke or if he’s truly underrated
i personally believe that he won’t put up those numbers again, but i sure as hell hope he does
No more Barton please.I got tire of seen him standing up in the batters box with the counts of 2-0 3-1 or 3-2 and take fastballs right on the middle of the plate.
That’s called a patient hitter. When you have that good of an OBP, along with that good defense, he’s the perfect 1B for any cheap team. Rays would kill to have him, I’d think.
Well,I dont want see any patient hitters when there are RISP,and with counts in your favor any hitter should be looking for fastballs and be ready to swing the bat.
well lets trade him insted of allen
Agree completely. Remember Beane’s comment last year about players getting off their Iphones/Ipad and into the training room? That was directed at Barton.
The A’s have a lot of nothing at 1B no matter how you slice it. I’m thinking BB may sign an inexpensive FA.
What??? Barton dropped 10 pounds of fat, and put on about 15 pounds of muscle last offseason.
His numbers were most likely bad in 2011 because he was playing with a shoulder injury the whole time. They’d be fools to write him off.
he saved 20 runs in his defence alone… defence isn’t a fluke
no, i know his D is excellent, it’s his offense that i’m worried about
his OBP was .405..
meant his offense going forward, i have a feeling that he won’t replicate those 2010 numbers
Walk rates typically stay the same through a players career so its not to much of a stretch to say he is very capable of repeating
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When was this .405 OBP you talk about?
2010 the last full year he played
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His SLG% was .405, his OBP was .393, nominal difference though.
Even in a down year, his OBP is a hundred points over his BA. And his defense is ridiculous. Most underrated 1B in the game.
OBP is nice and all, but I don’t like how it’s become the be-all end-all of batting stats. If you’re sitting on a ded read fastball on a 2-0 count, that isn’t good hitting. Sorry.
It’s not that simple. When you have a good count you should be looking for a specific pitch and quite possibly in a specific location (largely depends on how good you are at adjusting I would think). If it’s the wrong pitch, the wrong location, or you just plain misidentify it the better option is to take.
Taking a 2-0 fastball to go 2-1 isn’t great, you obviously would love a guy with some pop to punish a pitch like that. But taking is vastly preferable to spiking a slider into the ground and making an easy out–or two!–because you were expecting a fastball (zomg it’s 2-0 it must be a fastball!) and swung anyway.
If he’s just a “it’s 2-0 and therefore I take guy” yeah, that would get annoying.
Fair point. I personally like seeing hitters be a little more aggressive and look to drive pitches on counts when the pitcher expects the hitter to be taking.
How often do we see first pitch fastballs right down the middle because hardly any hitters actually swing at them?
Of course, how much of that is the hitter himself, and how much is the manager or 3rd base coach telling him to take? I guess that depends on the manager and the veteran status of a hitter as well.
+1.
The SABR guys love to trot out Barton’s 5.1 WAR in his best season and compare it with Albert Puhouls’ 5.7 in 2011. As if! There’s more to being a hitter than trolling for walks to pump up your OPS and bunting runners from second to third with one out.
If Barton played at SS or catcher, even 2nd base it might be different, bit he’s a 1B-man for goodness sake. HIT THE BALL!
Do you know how many BBs you need to score a single run…? Yeah,4. It’s ok to have a leadoff guy with High OBP,but not a first baseman.I’ll rather take a 1B that can give me 20 HRs,.250 Av and be a low OBP player.
the goal of every hitter is to AVOID making OUTS. That goes for every hitter, top to bottom. There shouldn’t be certain hitters designated to do certain things, every hitter should have the same goal . . . get on base.
This fallacy that certain batters are supposed to set the table while others are supposed to drive them in is a poor offensive strategy. I suggest you read “The Book: Playing The Percentages In Baseball” by Tom Tango and others, it will show you proper game theory.
no hes not
Wish we could be shopping kila instead, liked brandon and would like to see if he could improve, but i definitely get it, .200/.277/.377 just wouldn’t cut it at first
then again, that may end up being the best slashline out of our first basemen next year
Teams won’t be disappointed as long as they limit themselves to window-shopping only. As you point out, it may be a different story for A’s fans.
I think Beane knows better than any of us what he has (or doesn’t have) in Allen. Funny how Allen, Barton and especially Chris Carter “deserve” chance after chance, but other players are summarily dismissed as unworthy by some fans.
He is from Conroe, TX just outside of Houston. I could see the Astros in play if the asking price isn’t ridiculous.
Allen could be a DH for Houston for the presumable future once the move to the AL goes into effect. I’m just under the impression Luhnow has some confidence in Brett Wallace showing improvement.
Allen DH over Cust? Eh, I dunno… flip a coin I guess.
Neither impress me as a DH.
They are going to extend Carlos Lee for a year to be their 2013 DH; so they can make the original signing of him seem somewhat relevant…
Houston won’t have a DH this year. But entering 2013, they will. Cust may not be in the picture by then and Allen had some pretty impressive Minor League numbers that lend to the idea that he can DH. Especially with his power pulling the ball to the short porch in left field at MMP.
Pulling the ball to left field? He’s a lefty.
He pulls it real hard…
If Carlos Lee or Brandon Allen becomes the 2013 DH for the Astros, and Cust is only around for 2012, that will only back up my head scratching regarding the signing of Cust by the Astros. I just don’t get it. His defense is sub-par, to say the least.
600k non guaranteed shouldn’t make you scratch your head.
Allen is actually a very athletic guy for someone of his size. He runs smoothly and plays a pretty good first base. No need to limit him to DH duties at this point.
Barton needs another chance post-injury; I agree there, and I’d like to see him at 1B. But I think it’s too early to let Allen go just yet; let ST battle decide. Liked the athleticism a lot, the power is intriguing and I think we’re giving up too early for no apparent reason…
I can see the Indians being in on this. Not sure what the A’s need but I’m sure the tribe will at least inquire about him if they haven’t already.
Potential left handed DH for the Yankees?
Baltimore seems like a reasonable fit. They do have Reynolds and Davis, but practically nothing at DH. Seems like a heck of a lot better idea than Soriano!
My guess is the A’s are looking for a starting pitcher prospect or 3b prospect. Nothing in the top 50 prospect but maybe some AA or A ball prospect who had a upside. Its good news for Carter.
What about the Tigers? I know they have some combination of Boesch/Raburn/Young to replace Martinez at DH, but Allen’s bat could be a good addition at Comerica.
why? i like brandon allen, get rid of barton!
when barton was healthy he was one of the most valuable players we had
in 2010 barton created 92 Runs.. last year Pujols created 100
Please stop with the cherry-picked Barton v. Pujols stats. It’s embarrassing.
Its showing how barton is valuable
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what bout last year? he was terrible last year. Allen has way more pop and can hit for some average as he did in the minors. Allen has potential. I just hated watching barton take called thirds on him.
Allen hit .200 last year. How is that any better than Barton?
check the DL…
Check the irritation of the A’s front office with Barton, who didn’t report injury—another diving head-first into the shallow end of the pool moment.
The A’s have one of the worst 1st base situations in the league. With so many question marks, just keep him. He probably has more potential value with them than he does with any other team.
I get the feeling that Allen could be a Carlos Pena-like late bloomer. But I’m still glad the A’s are shopping him. Barton should get his job back if he can bounce back from his shoulder injury. And if not, I’d love to see Carter finally get an extended audition. This might be the year that he can put it all together at the ML level.
Again with the Carter stuff. He’s a nothing in the field. His only place is at DH and he can’t hit big league pitching at age 25. At least Barton gives you some value defensively at first base, though he made quite a few errors in 2011. Neither is a very good option.
Nelson Cruz and Luke Scott never did much at the ML level until they were 28. Jose Bautista never amounted to much until he was 29. And there are countless examples of players breaking out at ages 25, 26 and 27.
Yet you’re writing Carter off at 25, even though you only have tiny sample sizes to go by??
All the players you mentioned actually play in the field. Chris Carter has shown neither the abilty nor the inclination/work ethic to improve in that regard. He’s a complete disaster (worse than Jack Cust) in the outfield and marginal at best at 1B.
All/most displayed potential in their first years and none were as overmatched as Chris Carter. So, yes, I’m saying I’d rather give another player a chance.
If you are talking purely DH, then nothing to lose seeing if CC can FINALLY hit major league pitching. It may take him a few more years at AAA, though.
There really seems to be a mentality w/r to Carter that he somehow deserves to flounder for as long as an entire season if necessary, no matter what. Why is he afforded that opportunity time and again, when other players (Weeks, for instance) have to EARN their way onto the Oakland roster and earn the right to stay by on-field performance?
With all the babying of Carter, we kind of lose sight of Taylor, who is also struggling to make it, but actually has the mental make-up and skill set to potentially help the A’s.
“Time and again”?!? He’s had two stints in the majors, and 124 plate appearances between them. That’s it.
I’m all for sticking him at DH. But to judge him as a hitter after only 124 ML plate appearances — and act like there’s no way he can ever improve — is just ludicrous.
well allen has not had much more and he can actuly fild carter is the slowest guy i have ever seen play
Actually, he’s had 3 times more ML plate appearances than Carter. Which, granted, is still a small sample size. So it’s a bit unfortunate that they need to trade him. But they simply don’t have room for all these 1Bs. Someone needs to go. And Carter still has far too much upside to give up on, Ka’aihue can probably be just as effective as Allen, and if Barton bounces back from his shoulder injury he’ll likely be more productive than any of them.
Please talk to the Rays. I would be more than happy to trade you Wade Davis and a minor league arm for Allen and Carter.
I’d like to see Beane bring in a FA: Maybe Casey Kotchman or in my dreams a player who can actually produce some pop like Pena. Another year of Barton trolling for walks to pump his ops. and the failed Carter experiment is depressing beyond words.
What the heck billy. This guy is a nice defender at first, runs well for a big guy and has light tower power. I know he strikes out a lot but this guy could be a guy who hits 25-30 homers .250 avg with nice first base D batting 6th in your lineup. Plus at this point he doesnt have much trade value but I have more faith in him then carter or Daric taking strike 3 called Barton.
They better be kidding! Get rid of carter or Barton, but not allen
thats what im saying he is way better then that slug chris carter and barton those are the tow he needs to be shopping
yepp exactly
Wasn’t Brandon the one that hit those two monster homeruns in one game at Yankee Stadium last year? Those things were blasts. I say we keep him.
I believe Allen also hit one of the longest HR in MLB last year as well
I’m pretty sure that was Prince Fielder at Minute Maid Park.
*edit* oh, “ONE OF the longest,” my mistake.
Agree with those who say Barton is too patient. Obp is not something you need from a corner infielder – You need power and run production!
You get your obp guys on base ahead of your power men and the power men knock them in. First baseman who have no ability to knock in runs are a dime a dozen.
Corner infielders need to hit at least .280 and hit at least 25 homers and 35 doubles.
That’s why the Pirates have no need for Brandon Allen (already have a Quad-A hitters in Jeff Clement & Matt Hague) or Daric Barton. What they have now is already better than them.
(Casey McGehee and Garrett Jones platoon).
James, I think you might have some unrealistic expectations of your corner infielders. Last year, there was 6 CIF who hit .280, 25-HR and 35 doubles in all of baseball; Prince, Votto, Gonzalez, Cabrera and Morse at 1B and Ramirez at 3B. So out of 60 starting COF, only the top 10% can perform up to the level that you think all should be at. You’re team would be lucky to have one player like this, let alone two.
Just so you know, only 4 CIF made outs less than 6 out of 10 times and posted an OBP over 400; Cabrera, Votto, Fielder and Gonzalez. Don’t sleep on how important it is to save one of the precious 27 outs you get in a game.
what the heck was the point in trading for him we should hvae traded for some one els that we can use longer then 2 months this is stupid and dose not add up im puzzled buy this
i cant understand why we traded for him then what a waste if you trade for some one you shoud make it a player that can be on the team longer then to months
He’s not good at baseball, Randy. It wasn’t so much as the A’s wanted Allen (you want a player like Golstein) it was that the DBacks needed Zeigler and Allen was all they could get. He’s not even as good as Barton.
Note who the A’s traded Cahill to and the nice return.
DET: Brandon Allen
OAK: Oliver or Crosby
We need a OF/DH type and hitting lefty with power is a bonus. It’s risky, but Allen shows a good amount of promise to me.
Edit: and by we, I mean Detroit needs to find someone to help replace Victor Martinez
With our luck Billy will trade Allen to Detroit and he’ll turn out to be the next Big Papi, I can’t help thinking about the Carlos Pena trade. I love Billy but when it comes to young players he’s often like a pitching coach or manager with a fast hook!
speaking as a rays fan if we were interested in barton at all wed assume keep kotchman he replicated bartons best yr last yr alone. no sense giving up something for someone we already have and allen isnt gonna be worth whatever beane asks for him.
As an A’s fan (and Rays admirer) I’d much rather have Kotchman than Barton. And, you can Allen too.
and to further prove we resigned one of our world series leaders and power hitters with equal or slightly lesser defense than barton by signing back Carlos Pena
speaking as a rays fan if we were interested in barton at all wed assume keep kotchman he replicated bartons best yr last yr alone. no sense giving up something for someone we already have and allen isnt gonna be worth whatever beane asks for him.
The link attached for “Tony Pena” is for the Tony Pena Jr. Which is not the “Tony Pena” he was traded for.