Must make trades for each American League West team: Oakland A’s
Trade idea: Acquire Jonathan India
Something just appears to be missing from the Oakland A’s formula. Sure they have a good record as their currently ten games over .500 but nothing about them truly scares the opposition.
In terms of their overall offensive numbers, they’re all middle of the pack, not a bad place to be. But to go from decent playoff contenders to true title threats, they’ll need to make a few tweaks before the trade deadline. In the end, opportunities come to those that take them and for the A’s, they simply need to up their chance of getting someone on base.
Here to check that box and fill a need, is 24-year-old Jonathan India. The right-handed batter from the Cincinnati Reds doesn’t generate the sort of power that makes his trips to the plate end in a walk-off home run but he keeps the line moving by getting on base. At the time of writing, his on base percentage is tied for sixth-best in the league at .392. That number would easily surpass Oakland’s team-leading Tony Kemp and his .382. It would also do wonders for a squad that only averages .315.
With five guys in double digits for total home runs, the A’s don’t necessarily need India’s bat to light up the scoreboard. They simply need him to help elevate a below-average on base percentage.