The Oakland Athletics are looking to improve their team for this season without sacrificing pieces that are in the plan for future years, and it appears they're close to doing just that on Saturday afternoon. According to a report, the A's are nearing a deal with the Brewers to acquire catcher George Kottaras.
Here is the latest from Jon Morosi of FOX Sports.
Source: #Brewers close to trading George Kottaras to #Athletics.
— Jon Morosi (@jonmorosi) July 28, 2012
Kottaras, 29, is a solid option at catcher both at the plate and behind the dish. He is hitting just .209 this season, but his on-base percentage of .409 is phenomenal. This numbers is aided greatly by a 25% walk rate, which is unheard of. That number will come down a bit, but Kottaras will still be a valuable piece for the A's.
Oakland has received very little production from any of their catchers this season, so expect Kottaras to see plenty of playing time.