With Jed Lowrie returning to Oakland for the second time in his career, the Athletics have an excess of infielders. Danny Valencia, Marcus Semien and Brett Lawrie make up the A's current infield and rumors suggest one of them might be traded.
Lowrie is set to earn $7.5 million in 2016 and $6.5 million in 2017, so it's hard to believe he'll be used as a utility player with such a high price tag on a small market team. Both Valencia and Lawrie are entering their second years of arbitration eligibility and will be more expensive than Semien for 2016.
Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle says [Jed] Lowrie is expected to open the season at second base, which indicates [Brett] Lawrie could be on the way out.
"Lowrie's return all but ensures the A's next will move either second baseman Brett Lawrie or third baseman Danny Valencia," Slusser writes. "Both are drawing interest from American League teams, according to big-league sources, but Lawrie, obtained in the Josh Donaldson deal with Toronto last winter, is considered the better bet to be traded: He can play second and third well, he has an enormous amount of natural ability and he turns 26 in January."
Lawrie is projected to earn $3.9 million in arbitration and Valencia is projected to make $3.4 million, according to MLBTradeRumors.com.
The 25-year-old Lawrie is certainly more likely to garner interest on the trade market than Valencia, 31, who the A's claimed off waivers this past season, because of the difference in age. Valencia quietly batted an impressive .290/.345/.519 with 59 runs scored, 18 home runs and 66 RBI in 105 games while Lawrie hit .260/.299/.407 with 64 runs scored, 16 home runs and 60 RBI in 149 games.
However, the Athletics could change these rumored plans. Valencia can also play left field, which could be of great use if the team attempts to move Coco Crisp, who is owed $11 million in 2016.
Oakland made nine trades last offseason so it's really hard to rule out anything with Billy Beane running the show.
Keep an eye on the A's during the upcoming Winter Meetings as there's expected to be a lot of transactions conducted during that second week in December.
