With just days before pitchers and catchers report for MLB Spring Training camps, the Oakland Athletics and Houston Astros worked out a five-player trade on Monday.
The Astros will acquire the services of power hitter Chris Carter, right-hander Brad Peacock, and catcher Max Stassi. Oakland will get right-handed reliever Fernando Rodriguez and infielder Jed Lowrie.
Peacock, who was set to begin his second season in Oakland, was actually driving from Kissimmee, Florida to Phoenix when his phone rang and he was told about the trade.
I'm excited. I was actually driving to Phoenix when I got the call, and had to turn around in Mississippi. I hope I can bounce back and prove myself to somebody. I had kind of a rough year last year but I've been working hard, so hopefully it all pays off.
So he turned his vehicle around near Biloxi and headed back to where he came from. He'll join Houston's pitchers and catchers when they report next week to Osceola County Stadium in Kissimmee.
Peacock was involved in the Oakland/Washington trade a year ago that sent Gio Gonzalez packing his bags to become a Nationals player.
Joining him will be Stassi, who hit .268 with 15 home runs and 45 RBI's during an injury-plagued season at Class A-Stockton.
Carter brings a hot bat to Minute Maid as a viable option at the DH spot. His at-bats were going to be limited in Oakland due to a stacked depth in the outfield. His power could help out an Astros team that makes their debut in the American League this season.
Jed Lowrie heads to Oakland, on the heels of a 2012 season that saw him hit .244 with 16 home runs over just 97 games. In his five seasons in the Majors, Lowrie has never played 100 games in any of those years. He appears excited to be a part of Oakland's lineup:
I'm excited to come to a team that won one of the better divisions in baseball last year, and to have the opportunity to come back and play baseball in the Bay Area. I obviously followed the story last year, considering everyone had pegged either the Angels or Rangers to win it. It was a great story to watch from a distance. It's a group of young guys that obviously know how to win, and hopefully just continue to get better.
For more information, check out the MLB Examiner on Facebook as well as follow along on Twitter.
Comments