The Oakland Athletics completed their first big move of the offseason as they completed a deal with the Arizona Diamondbacks that sent Trevor Cahill and Craig Breslow to Arizona in exchange for Jarrod Parker, Collin Cowgill and Ryan Cook. The move is intended as one of many possible moves to help the team reset itself for their eventual move into a new ballpar.
Assistant general manager David Forst chatted with the media about the deal Friday evening. He acknowledged the difficulty of trading a front end starter like Trevor Cahill. However, he believes the team got a prospect with the top-of-the-rotation stuff. Jarrod Parker could very well prove to be better than Cahill and the team gets an extra three years of service time.
Even if they end up a wash, the A's landed an outfielder in Collin Cowgill that will immediately compete for a spot in their starting outfield. With the entire starting trio of Coco Crisp, Josh Willingham and David DeJesus gone or soon to be gone, there are plenty of roster spots open. Add in a live arm like relief pitcher Ryan Cook and it could prove to be a very solid deal for the A's.
As Forst said though, this does not necessarily end the A's wheeling and dealing this offseason. The A's have made it clear they do not "have" to trade any of their pitchers, but if the deal is right they will make it. That means Gio Gonzalez and Andrew Bailey will continue to sit out their collecting offers. With more than two months until pitchers and catchers report to spring training, there is plenty of time to work on a deal.