Brandon Inge has drawn interest from multiple teams since being released by the Detroit Tigers this week. Yesterday it was rumored that the Athletics, Orioles, Twins and Diamondbacks could all have interest in Inge. The Phillies also had their name thrown into the mix due to their lack of infield depth, but it appears that the A’s may be the team most interested in Inge.
For a player that started the season off 2-20 and that is in clear decline mode, Inge has received significant attention over the past two days. Several teams, including the A’s, Orioles, Twins and Diamondbacks, could all potentially look past Inge’s troubles at the plate and sign the veteran for his defensive abilities, specifically at the hot corner.
The Phillies could also look to Inge for his glove, but more as a veteran fill-in all across the infield. Philadelphia is currently set at third and second base with veteran Placido Polanco and rookie Freddy Galvis. Still, the Phillies were rumored to be interested in Inge this spring and could look to improve their infield depth by signing the veteran.
While all of these teams have been linked to Inge recently, the A’s may be the team most interested in the 34-year-old. Oakland’s general manager Billy Beane wouldn’t comment specifically on Inge, but did tell reporters, including Joe Stiglich of the Bay Area News Group, that the A’s are looking to improvement at third base.
While Inge has been especially awful at the plate over the past few seasons, even he may be an upgrade over Josh Donaldson. The 26-year-old has only managed 3 hits in 32 at-bats, good for an OPS of .188, and has committed three errors in only nine starts at third base.
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