The Blue Jays are on the verge of acquiring outfielder Rajai Davis from the Athletics, tweets Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. Minor league reliever Trystan Magnuson is one of the players heading to Oakland in the deal, MLBTR has learned.
Davis, a 30-year-old speedster, became more expendable for Oakland after they acquired David DeJesus from the Royals. Davis slipped to .284/.320/.377 this year in 561 plate appearances for the A's, playing all three outfield positions but mainly center. It's not clear how the Jays would employ Davis, but capable center fielders are a rare commodity. Davis is arbitration eligible for the second time this winter and potentially under team control through 2013.
Magnuson, a 25-year-old righty, posted a 2.58 ERA, 7.7 K/9, and 1.2 BB/9 with only one home run allowed in 73 1/3 Double-A innings this year. Heading into the season Baseball America had him 22nd among Jays prospects.
It was only a matter of time they would get rid of there stacked outfield.
stacked outfield? Crowded outfield, yes. But our outfield is hardly stacked. Unless stacked mean a lot of AAAA or gimpy outfielders.
Yes, What else did you think I meant?
I thought you meant that the A’s outfielders were standing on top of one another, like a stack of pancakes.
told you, on fire
Nice. Who was the Jays last 50 SB man? Shannon Stewart?
This means Bautista is headed to 3b.
Or that the Jays (rightfully so) don’t think highly of Fred Lewis and aren’t planning on tendering him a contract.
or a new team?
The Mets, eventually.
..or out of Toronto, which is what I would prefer. trade Batista while his stats are up.
..or out of Toronto, which is what I would prefer. trade Batista while his stats are up.
Man I wished he was headed to the 2011 East champions braves.
Me too. Davis would be a great fit at CF for Atlanta next year. Too bad Fred Lewis doesn’t really play center, I like the way he plays and it looks like he will be non tendered.
What do you like about it? He’s speedy when he gets going, but he’s not quick on the base paths. Travis Snider is quicker than Lewis.
His defense is poor, and after he takes a bad route on a ball hit out to left, he can only make up for it with legs that take too long to get going fast.
He doesn’t hit for much power or average and his OBP is nothing to write home about.
One of the nicest most friendly players in Professional Baseball…Great guy. Mags has done so much for NH and I’m going to miss him a great deal! Good Luck Trystan!!!
Rajai on the other hand is a great guy and one of my favorite players in Baseball.
I love this trade!!!!!!!!!!
If he posts a .360 OBP and puts up 50 SB’s.. I like this trade for the Jays.
Plus he can offset Vernon in CF. I guess Bau is headed to 3B. Either that or Rajai is just a 4th outfielder.
He’s not going to give you 50 possible stolen bases as a 4th outfielder so he’d be pretty worthless. I think Bautista is moving to third.
If he posts a .360 OBP and puts up 50 SB i’ll be dancing on my roof. Giving up magnuson isn’t a big deal.
that .360OBP was a fluke. He’s all BA driven. Id set my hopes that he matches that .320OBP again and feel good about that
Well since the objective of an AB is to not create an out, who really cares how he succeeded that 36% of the time?
Hopefully the Jays don’t overpay for him, but Magnuson is a decent arm going their way – should be able to crack their bullpen out of spring training.
If the batting average isn’t sustainable, then you should care.
Well you can’t point out a players faults that haven’t happened yet, so I can’t care.
He’ll get at least 40 SB’s, but good luck with the .360 OBP.
I guess he could replace Wise & Lewis… seems like the type of player the Jays are missing… I like it
What a day for a baseball…so many moves
for the people who will say that rajai davis is basically fred lewis, at least rajai davis actually shows his speed in stolen bases, lewis was hyped to be speedy but he really was not that
Lewis is bad. His defense in LF is actually worse than Adam Lind. And he’s an awful base-stealer.
from what i’m reading, davis’s defense is pretty solid
awful was an understatement, dude got the worst jumps and had terrible instincts.
Dang, the A’s are occupying almost all the headlines this offseason. They’re making other teams look bad
When GMs make moves just to keep their names in the headlines it rarely works out for their team. Stienbrenner’s Yankees (2001-2005) and Minaya’s Mets were run that way and look how they turned out. Although I wouldn’t classify the A’s moves this offseason as being in the same ballpark…they have made a lot of moves but nothing that major.
Dont forget jack Z last year. So many moves so little success.
It was great seeing Magnuson dominate this season. He has a fastball from 89-92 but pinpoint location…A very good curve and a decent change…Expect him to be a fine addition to the A’s bullpen.
it seems like the A’s and Jays recently like doing business together with all their latest trades and moves in the past couple years and especially recently.
in this offseason alone…
Michael Taylor for Brett Wallace
Edwin Encarnacion
Rajai Davis
Scutaro, Lilly, Lidle too
i was thinking of those as well, and even Frank Thomas i believe was another one?
He was a FA after a 1yr stint in OAK
EE doesn’t really qualify as doing business together since they just plucked him off the waiver wire.
Rajai Davis is a nice player just not a leadoff/starting OF type player. I would hope the Blue Jays aren’t giving up anything of value for him…if so they will be disapointed very shortly. Nice guy to have on your team, very fast baserunner, just doesn’t get on consistent enough to warrant an everyday starting job.
In 2009 he did.
He’s 30 and has one year on his baseball card that shows anything but Solid SB numbers. He’s a MLB 4th OF, who is also Arbitration elgible and due a significant raise. If Beane can get anything of value out of him in a trade that is huge
2 years actually. He posted a .360 OBP in 2007 too.
in under 400 AB’s. Let me say it this way. Live in the television markets of both the Giants and the A’s watch him a lot. Last year was his first chance to secure a starting role from the start of the season in his career. He lost his job by seasons end and proved to be a 4th OF. Don’t get me wrong, he’s a nice guy to have on a team, just not a guy you trade anything of value to get on your team
I’m not saying he’s going to be anything more than a 4th OF. But let me say this, the absolute worst argument on MLBTR is: “Have you watch him play”.
How many games have you watched him play?
lol
I just realize that it says “one of the players’. Let’s hope it isn’t for much more.
Billy Beane should teach a workshop on how to acquire effective relievers.
Hopefully this means Wells to RF, J-Bau to 3B, would be awesome if he puts up the OBP to bat 1st, but worst case scenario he’s you #9 guy.
Wells will not be moved out of CF. Not a chance
Not sure what kind of an ego he has, but Wells to LF/RF?
I doubt very much that Wells would be okay with that. (Not his call I know but yeah). He’s going to throw a hissy fit if Farrell doesn’t bat him 4th next year.
um what is this based on? when has vernon ever complained about anything?
Everything I’ve heard from Mike Wilner talk about Vernon Wells suggests what I just posted. You seriously think he’s going to be happy about moving to LF? Okay..
i don’t know about the OF shift, but how do you come up with statements like “He’s going to throw a hissy fit if Farrell doesn’t bat him 4th next year. “? That’s just nonsense
Just my opinion based on what I’ve heard. If you think Vernon will be okay batting 6th and playing RF, fine. I don’t, sorry.
I don’t think the Jays will be okay with having a RF bat 6th and get $25 million annually….
It shouldn’t matter where he plays or where he bats, they’re still gonna pay him a ton of money. If his best fit defensively is RF and his best fit offensively is 6th, then he should be there.
I think thats almost exactly what is bound to happen now this year. Unless they make a big splash, i really anticipate that their lineup will end up with Lind or Manny hitting third, Jose 4th, and Wells 5/6 with Snider nipping at his tail for the 5 spot.
Davis will leadoff everyday because this is exactly what AA does. He takes a guy who hasn’t been given a defined/every day roll and gives him the opportunity to thrive. He tried out Lewis for this roll last year, this year is Davis’ turn.
Wilner doesn’t insinuate that Wells wouldn’t allow a move, just that he isn’t exactly going to management and asking to be moved.
So it’s based on what then, Wilner’s opinion?
Wilner is a complete Dbag who wakes up every morning and wishes he was running the Jays, so he makes things up and belittles peopels opinion because he thinks he has some supreme knowledge no one else has..
I really really despise him, I was so happy when he was suspended last year.
This is based on…?
it has been stated countless times.. Wells will not move from CF for the Jays.. and there is no reason to move him, he has done an outstanding job
except for the part where he’s a terrible defensive outfielder: mopupduty.com/index.php/vernon-wells-mlbs-worst-fi…
He was better in 2010, but he’s still among the worst CF’s playing in the bigs.
I agree, I just don’t know if Davis is going to have an everyday spot to move Wells over. . and i doubt they’ll move him back and forth
fair. But this is AA acquiring a cheap, controllable-until-2014 CF’er, doesn’t sound like a depth move. Sounds like this is the guy taking a roster spot until Gose takes over in CF… but who knows, it’s early.
define “outstanding”
fred lewis is gone and I hope we somehow get justin upton. I wouldn’t mind giving away travis snider.
I would. Even for J. Upton because it will still cost us Kyle Drabek and another prospect.
Justin Upton is awesome, but until Snider plays every day and doesn’t have to worry about sitting for a couple days here, a couple days there without reason, he’s untouchable for me.
yikes….hope this doesnt mean no chance at crawford! 🙁
Never was a chance anyways. Crawford doesn’t like turf and the Jays aren’t going to match the Angels/Red Sox best offer.
from a jays point of view there was never a chance at crawford
more like there was never a desire…
whats the difference?
I don’t see this anything more then a depth move, Fred Lewis wants to play every day and isnt going to get that chance, Wise is gone.. I think he’s a 4th outfielder.. Jbau remains in RF. . . I also don’t anticipate the other player being of any more significance then Magnuson.
Davis is the new 4th OF, nothing more. He can cover at all 3 spots in case of injury. Going into the season with Davis as the starting RF is an admission of defeat.
Farquhar is the other prospect going A’s way. So 2 relievers.
I remember when the Pirates had Davis. He would constantly over-slide when trying to steal second. When they had Davis and Morgan, my friend and I speculated that they could have gone with a two man outfield and a five man infield. Now that would have been something to see.
Changed my mind on this. Not a great trade for the Jays IMO. I kind of liked Farquhar and Davis will be a nice 4th OF but hopefully not much more than that.