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Trade grades: How did the Mets, Yankees, Padres, and A’s do on Sunday?

By Kevin Henry

MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN - SEPTEMBER 26: Miguel Castro #50 of the New York Mets throws a pitch against the Milwaukee Brewers against at American Family Field on September 26, 2021 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Brewers defeated the Mets 8-4. (Photo by John Fisher/Getty Images)
MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN - SEPTEMBER 26: Miguel Castro #50 of the New York Mets throws a pitch against the Milwaukee Brewers against at American Family Field on September 26, 2021 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Brewers defeated the Mets 8-4. (Photo by John Fisher/Getty Images) /
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Sean Manaea of the Oakland A's
OAKLAND, CA – SEPTMEBER 25: Sean Manaea #55 of the Oakland Athletics warms up from the mound before the game against the Houston Astros at RingCentral Coliseum on September 25, 2021 in Oakland, California. The Athletics defeated the Astros 2-1. (Photo by Michael Zagaris/Oakland Athletics/Getty Images) /

Handing out the grades for the San Diego Padres-Oakland A’s trade centered on Sean Manaea

Why the San Diego Padres get an A for the trade

Last season the Padres went into a free fall in the second half of the season as their starting pitching was besieged by injuries. This year, the Padres proved with this trade they aren’t going to let a lack of depth and quality options on the mound submarine them like they did last season.

The 30-year-old Manaea showed last season that he can handle a workload, tying for the American League lead by making 32 starts. Knock on some wood, Padres fans, but the left-hander hasn’t been on the injured list since the 2019 season.

Manaea will slide right into the improved Padres rotation and be a solid second or third option behind Opening Day starter Yu Darvish.

Another reason the Padres get an A? They didn’t have to give up a lot to get Manaea, which brings us to our Oakland grade.

Why the Oakland Athletics get a D for the trade

Our friend David Hill at White Cleat Beat summed up things from the A’s perspective pretty well in this article, calling it a “disappointing return” for Manaea.

After all, Oakland received San Diego’s 12th-best prospect in Euribiel Angeles, who plays all over the infield, but it will still be some time until he is ready to make an impact in Oakland as he reached High-A last season. Additionally, starter Adrian Martinez could find his way to Oakland this season since the A’s will need arms after their fire sale that included Manaea as well as Chris Bassitt going to the New York Mets. However, Martinez is projecting as more of a back of the rotation piece than a front of the rotation guy as Manaea had become with the A’s.

If Oakland was looking to rebuild quickly, on the surface, Martinez doesn’t feel like the pitcher who can be a big part of that movement.

Oakland needed to score in big ways with all of its trading chips this offseason. While it may have hit more of the mark with the Matt Olson deal with Atlanta, this trade involving Manaea feels like a whiff, with neither prospect being a highly coveted one.

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