With Shintaro Fujinami Gone, Who Could be Next to Go From the Oakland A's Roster?

The MLB trade deadline is fast approaching, and the A's have already moved one big piece

The 2023 season hasn't gone the Oakland A's way. At 27-71 entering play on Thursday, the team is 31.5 games behind Texas in the AL West and 27 games back of the third wild-card spot. With the recent call-ups of top prospects Tyler Soderstrom and Zack Gelof, it appears that there could be a youth movement afoot in Oakland, which means some of the veterans could be moved by the trade deadline on August 1st. 

In almost any deal the A's make this deadline, they won't be receiving any top-tier talent in return. In the Shintaro Fujinami deal with Baltimore they received 26-year-old lefty Easton Lucas, who wasn't on either Pipeline's or FanGraphs' lists of the top Baltimore prospects, but is an intriguing bullpen arm nonetheless. 

That said, they could be looking at adding a couple of players similar to Darell Hernaiz, whom they acquired in the Cole Irvin trade before the season. Hernaiz was Baltimore's #19 prospect according to FanGraphs and only had 13 games above High-A in his career. This season the 21-year-old shortstop absolutely demolished Double-A Midland, batting .338 with a .393 on-base percentage (OBP) and a 133 wRC+ (100 being league average) before getting called up to Triple-A Las Vegas at the All Star break. He is 8-for-19 through four games with the Aviators. 

If the A's end up with one or two more players of that caliber, they'll have had a successful deadline. So which players are the most likely to be moved? 

Trevor May and Tony Kemp will hit the free agent market once the season concludes, with Aledmys Díaz and Jace Peterson being signed through 2024. All four players have the potential to be on the move at the trade deadline. 

For May, his season got off to a rough start and he held a 12.00 ERA through his first six innings of work before landing on the IL with issues related to anxiety. The right-hander has been superb since coming back at the end of May, posting a 2.97 ERA in 18.2 innings. He's also worked his way into the closer role, sealing up eight saves for the club. 

The right-hander will be a great under-the-radar target for a contender that could use some extra bullpen depth. He's pitched in New York in the postseason, so no market is going to intimidate him come October. The headlines in the coming weeks will be all about Josh Hader of the San Diego Padres and where he could wind up, but May could have just as much of an impact by bridging the gap between starter and closer and shortening games. 

Tony Kemp has been a leader in the clubhouse this season, and with so many younger players on the roster, keeping Kemp around as a guide isn't out of the question. On Wednesday when Cody Thomas was being interviewed by reporters after the game, he was talking about some of the veteran leadership on the club, and as he was doing so, looked directly over at Kemp's locker. 

On the other hand, the arrival of Zack Gelof in addition to Jordan Díaz on the roster as two more options at second base could limit the playing time for Kemp with the A's down the stretch. He's batting .298 over his last 30 games to go along with a .377 OBP, which could also make him an intriguing addition for a team looking for an upgrade at second or in left, or looking to build up their depth the rest of the way. 

Much like Kemp, Aledmys Díaz and Jace Peterson haven't been seeing consistent playing time lately, and have essentially been splitting time at third base the last six games. Peterson is owed $5 million in 2024, while Díaz will be making $8 million. One of the two players could find themselves in a new clubhouse in August as the team tries to clear a little payroll and also remove any blockades at the big-league level that could block more long-term solutions around the diamond. 

Among those potential solutions are Kevin Smith, who looked to be turning things around last month before landing on the IL with a strained back. He said before Wednesday's game that he is feeling good, though a timetable for his return hasn't been announced. 

Number 12 prospect Brett Harris posted a .399 OBP in Double-A Midland to begin the season and walked (40) nearly as much as he struck out (42) in 69 games. The 25-year-old plays highlight reel defense and could end up as the A's third baseman at some point next season. 

Moving Díaz or Peterson isn't imperative just yet in terms of roster construction, but if the A's are offered a prospect to take a flier on, they may do that deal. 

This trade deadline won't include a system-making haul, but there should be at least a player or two that helps build up the depth of the farm and helps put the A's in a better place for the long haul.