9:09: The Yankees considered the price the Athletics were asking before the lockout to be too high. tweets SNY’s Andy Martino, who adds that the Yankees have made it clear they won’t include a top shortstop prospect in their roster. Anthony Wolpe in a potential deal.
7:45: The lockout is over and the dam will break through the historic flow of transactions in the coming days. Athletics first baseman Matt Olson headlines a broad class of trade targets and serves as the focal point for a proposed track and field sell-off that general manager David Forst mentioned back in November when he acknowledged the team would have to heed trade offers for most of its roster this winter. The Rangers and Yankees are already known to be among the teams showing interest in Olson, but their acquisition efforts could now resume in earnest.
Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News reports that the Rangers planned to contact the “A” shortly after the lockout was lifted to resume negotiations. Texas, however, needs to be confident in its ability to sign Olson to a contract extension before making a deal, according to Grant. This is reasonable, because even after spending half a billion dollars to sign Corey Seeger as well as Markus SemyonThe Rangers are still far from fighting. Olson is only in control for two more seasons, and if a playoff run in 2022 isn’t a legitimate possibility, then the prospect of really having Olson for just one year of major contention would make the prospect’s exorbitant cost perhaps nasty.
Regarding the Yankees, Eric Boland of Newsday tweets that Olson is their preferred option to upgrade at first base. Currently the Yankees have Luke Voight (himself a trade candidate) and DJ LeMahieu as inside options, but Voight ends the season marred by injuries and doesn’t have nearly the same defensive prowess as Olson. LeMahier is looking for the rebound at the plate himself and is best used as a second or third baseman where his glove has more value. As we found out during the lockout, the Yankees have plenty of options that are rumored to be interested in free agents to varying degrees. Freddy Freeman as well as Anthony Rizzo.
As for the Rangers, it shouldn’t be assumed that they will beat Freeman or Rizzo if they miss Olson. Grant characterizes Olson and lefty Clayton Kershaw as a specific target for the Rangers, suggesting that if they fail to acquire one or both players, Texas’ total spending this winter could be as low as $10-15 million. In the absence of a deal for Olson, the Rangers are likely to return the first base back Nathaniel Lowewho had a good year in 2021 (0.264/0.357/0.415, 18 homers).
Texas and New York will be just two of the many teams interested in taking Olson away from Oakland. The Brave Ones are known to have some interest as well, but they will probably only strike to get Olson if they know for sure that Freeman is heading elsewhere. Freeman, the 2020 NL MVP, has been linked with the Dodgers, Yankees, Blue Jays and even the Rays who made him an offer before the lockout. The markets of the two star basemen are inextricably linked, and with Freeman expected to act quickly in his post-lockout decision, Olson’s market may soon clear up.
While the fives will listen not only to Olson – Matt Chapman, Frankie Montaz, Sean Manea, Chris Bassitt, Ramon Laureano as well as Lou Trivino can also be sold – few deny that Olson is the headliner of their options and possibly the entire trading market. The 2021 All-Star and two-time Golden Glover hit a career-high 39 home runs last year, the best he’s ever been in the Major Leagues. Olson hit .271/0.371/0.540 and maintained a massive 13.1% walking rate while reducing his once problematic strikeout rate from 31.4% in 2020 to 16.8%. MLBTR contributor Matt Schwartz predicts he will make $12 million next season.