Colorado Rockies, A's could match up on this trade

Jason Burke | 23 Hours Ago

Aug 20, 2023; Denver, Colorado, USA; A detail view of a Colorado Rockies batting helmet in the seventh inning against the Chicago White Sox at Coors Field. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images / Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images

The A's are looking for a third baseman for 2025, and the Colorado Rockies could have a pretty decent one available in Ryan McMahon. MLB's Mark Feinsand recently listed McMahon as Colorado's potential trade piece this offseason.

Getting the Rockies to operate rationally is a tricky task at times, however, so who knows if he's actually available.

Yet, the A's should certainly try to pry him away if they can. McMahon, 29, has played 150+ games in four straight seasons, and while he has never been a league average hitter, he's typically right around that mark in park adjusted terms. Last year his wRC+ was 89 (100 is league average).

The bat isn't necessarily why the A's should be interested, however. Instead, it's his glove. He racked up +10 DRS (defensive runs saved) last season, which ranked second in MLB behind Matt Chapman, and was the only player besides Chappy to finish in double digits. Over at Baseball Savant he ranked fifth in Fielding Run Value with a +5 in a closer field of competition. The leaders, Chapman and Joey Ortiz, held a +8.

Most teams would like a solid defender at third base, but for the Athletics it feels more important. WIth the team's move to Sacramento in 2025, the front office has been targeting more ground ball pitchers in their signings early on, presumably to counteract the brand new ballpark factors the club will have to deal with playing by in a minor-league facility in the heat.

If that part of the plan works, and A's pitchers are able to keep the ball on the ground, then they'll need a sure-handed defense around the diamond to scoop up those balls too. If the defense isn't great, then it won't really matter if the pitching staff is able to keep the ball on the ground.

The other reason this deal would work out well for the A's is because McMahon also comes with a bit of salary attached. He's set to make $12 million in 2025, and then $16 million in 2026 and 2027, for a total of three years and $44 million owed.

The Athletics have said that they want to increase payroll to about $100 million, and with the pitch to play in Sacramento looking to be a hard one, trading for good players that are owed money seems to be the most logical path to increasing that payroll figure. It's also important for the A's to find ways to spend this offseason so that the MLBPA doesn't start asking too many questions and challenge their inclusion on revenue sharing.

With McMahon being a two-WAR player over the past couple of seasons and owed nearly $15 million a year on average, the return cost likely wouldn't be too high on the A's part either. Of course, who's to say if the Rockies will even entertain trading him away.

McMahon may not be the sexiest option for the A's to consider this winter, but that glove is reliable, and that could be a huge selling point for the A's in their new era.