The Value of Trading Miguel Andujar

Dylan Grausz | Jul 26, 2024

Jul 22, 2024; Oakland, California, USA; Oakland Athletics left fielder Miguel Andujar (22) smiles after a win against the Houston Astros at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports / Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

Sitting in fifth place in the American League West with a 41-63 record, it is inevitable that on July 30th at 3 p.m., the Oakland A’s will be sellers at the deadline. They also have a handful of players on the roster that are under team control for the next several years and are not critical trade pieces, such as Brent Rooker. Still, others could provide value for teams that are looking to contend while allowing the A’s to get pieces that they can apply towards the future.

One player that comes to mind is left fielder and former New York Yankee Miguel Andujar, who after being removed from the Pittsburgh Pirates’ 40-man roster following the 2023 season, was claimed by the A’s in November with one more year of arbitration eligibility in 2025. Missing the first few weeks of the 2024 season due to a meniscus injury, Andujar has been red-hot in Oakland since making his season debut on May 24th, currently hitting .302 for the campaign while adding on four home runs and 26 RBI.

Since coming back from the All-Star break, Andujar has arguably been one of the A’s best hitters aside from Lawrence Butler and Brent Rooker, dominating the opposition in the Angels series win, where he went 2-for-4 in game one, 3-for-4 in game two and 3-for-5 in game three. He then proceeded to shine just as brightly in the Astros series, finishing the series going a combined 4-for-14. Andujar’s ability to make contact and get on base has been massive for the A’s, especially during the team’s recent run of success, and has allowed him to fully take the reins as the team’s everyday left fielder.

As previously stated, Andujar is under team control through next season, which makes him a little more valuable than a rental player. Given his production this season compared to his pre-season projections, Fantasy Pros projected that he would slash .254/.302/.398/.700 compared to his .302/.324/.420/.744 that he currently possess, Andujar has outplayed his contract and will warrant a significantly bigger one than he has now, which could have the A's thinking twice about keeping him around, especially for a team looking to go younger. While Andujar is only 29 years old, he will be entering his age 30 season next year.

For those reasons, Andujar could make a very intriguing trade chip at the deadline. With how he is performing as a starter, the return that the A’s could get back may not be blockbuster level, but possibly getting some prospects or even some depth pieces could work in their favor, allowing them to get something over nothing in return for a player that they don't see as a long-term piece for them. Teams like the Braves, who lost Ronald Acuña Jr. for the season after he tore his ACL, the Pirates and the Twins have been mentioned as possible destinations for Andujar should he get traded, and with those teams vying for playoff spots, could make an offer that the A’s would be wise to accept.

Nothing is guaranteed just yet and while the A’s do have options as to how they wish to approach the deadline, and while trading away a piece like Andujar may hurt for those who have started to grow fond of his game, building towards the future and trying to get as much as they can by dealing a guy like Andujar may come in handy in the long run.