Can Brett Lawrie stay healthy for the Oakland Athletics?

For the Oakland Athletics, Brett Lawrie‘s health will have critical implications on the blockbuster trade that sent Josh Donaldson to the Toronto Blue Jays on Friday. Donaldson is already an established star who will drastically improve Toronto, both offensively and defensively. The wild card of the deal is what Lawrie’s health will allow him to accomplish in an A’s uniform.

Since breaking into the big leagues, Lawrie has played in the following amount of games on a yearly basis: 43, 125, 107 and 70. For the last three seasons, Lawrie was supposed to be Toronto’s everyday third baseman. Due to a reckless playing style and overall aggressiveness, the soon-to-be 25-year-old has developed an intimate relationship with the disabled list.

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With Lawrie well behind Donaldson’s level of success, additional time on the DL will only further add to the animosity toward Oakland general manager Billy Beane regarding the trade. But what if Lawrie finally stays healthy? What if, come 2015 with the sharp green and gold colors on, Lawrie plays in 145 or more games and lives up to his near-limitless potential?

After being a first-round pick in 2008, the tattooed infielder quickly ascended into elite prospect status. His frame is solid and his power is substantial. According to FanGraphs, he also performs strongly on the defensive side. In comparison to Donaldson’s defense, Lawrie performs nicely, particularly in the speed and first step areas, albeit with a smaller sample size.

Lawrie is versatile enough to lock down Donaldson’s third base position or shift to second. If the new A’s member can avoid a headfirst slide here and not dive for an unplayable ball there, he could remain healthy enough to become a Gold Glove level defender in 2015, largely due to rare athleticism and instinctive jumps on the ball.

As Dave Cameron notes in a piece about the blockbuster trade, staying healthy is essentially an underrated skill. Over the 162-game marathon, the young Lawrie needs to learn to pace himself. Not every ball can be caught. Not every wild slide is a good idea. Under even-keeled manager Bob Melvin, perhaps Lawrie can develop skills for keeping his emotions and playing style in check.

Not too long ago, the future was thought to had arrived in Toronto with Lawrie. Injuries and poor luck have derailed his rise, but it’s possible for him to experience a turnaround in Oakland. He’ll be affordable and defensively sturdy for the next three years. If healthy, A’s fans might even see power numbers and lineup contributions present themselves.

Perhaps Beane knows something encouraging about Lawrie’s health that we don’t. Or perhaps he’s simply taking a gamble that may or may not work out. No matter how it’s sliced, one of the biggest stories for Oakland in 2015 will be the health of Lawrie. In filling the shoes of a fan favorite in Donaldson, Lawrie can’t afford to spend much time off the field.