The Oakland Athletics signed starter Scott Kazmir to a two-year, $22 million deal prior to the 2014 season, but the left-hander will likely command much more money than that when he hits free agency after this year. Will trade rumors surround Kazmir as the deadline approaches?
Kazmir jumped back into relevancy when he signed with the Cleveland Indians prior to the 2013 season after he had been out of the league for all of 2012. After a decent campaign with Cleveland (10-9 with a 4.04 ERA and 1.323 WHIP in 29 starts), the A's landed him and he had his best year since his All-Star season with the Tampa Bay Rays in 2008.
A successful 2014 season during which he went 15-9 with a 3.55 ERA, 1.16 WHIP and career-best 3.28 strikeout-to-walk ratio has continued into 2015.
"Kazmir has started out like gangbusters in his free agent year ... A scout who has been to both of Kazmir's starts said, 'He's had total command of all of his pitches. He's so confident out there. I've watched him pitch for a long time, and I've never seen the eye of the tiger in him like I see now. Don't know if it's because it's his walk year and he can become a free agent, but if he keeps this up most of the season, he's going to make himself a lot of money,'" writes Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe.
The left-hander is 2-0 with a 1.33 ERA, 0.787 WHIP and 23 strikeouts in three starts (20 1/3 innings) thus far, which has many wondering if the Athletics will opt to sell high on his services before the trade deadline. General manager Billy Beane previously traded All-Star pitchers Gio Gonzalez, Trevor Cahill, Andrew Bailey, Brandon McCarthy, Jeff Samardzija and others over the past few seasons, so it's hard to believe he won't do it again.
Even a former general manager believes Kazmir will be dealt based on the aforementioned .
"Whether the A's are contending or not, I expect Kazmir to be traded," writes ESPN's Jim Bowden. "He's coming off the best year of his career ... He's a free agent at season's end and the A's can't afford to sign him to a long-term contract, so I expect they'll trade him. General manager Billy Beane will probably look to move him for another major league-ready starter, especially if the A's are still in a race."
While it's unknown if the A's plan to trade Kazmir, which is likely dependent on how they perform up until the trade deadline, it's clear they have the resources to replace him (even though Bowden thinks he could be traded for another starter). Beane also acquired starters Jesse Hahn, Kendall Graveman and Sean Nolin this offseason in trades with the San Diego Padres and Toronto Blue Jays. Hahn and Graveman are in the starting rotation while Nolin is on the disabled list as he recovers from offseason hernia surgery.
In addition to that cast, the A's also have starters Jarrod Parker and A.J. Griffin returning within the next month or two after undergoing Tommy John surgery last season. Considering both showed promise before suffering injuries, it's likely the A's will look to incorporate them into their plans since they're both since through at least 2018.
If Kazmir continues to pitch the way he's been and the A's don't appear to be in contention by July, it's probable he'll be dealt. Otherwise, Beane will have a pressing decision to make.
