Athletics Named Top Minors Organization

Post date: Mar 29, 2016 6:30:23 PM

Hunter Harvey, Blake Swihart, Brendan Rodgers added in winter to bolster improved organization

Philadelphia Athletics GM Matt Veasey spent the 2016 WFBL Winter Meetings period further keying on the franchise youth movement, swapping prospects and draft picks around to retool the club's system. Traded away were a handful of pitchers who contributed to last season's starting rotation: Drew Smyly, Hector Santiago, John Lamb, and Colin Rea.

A pair of position players who played prominent roles were also dealt away in backup outfielder Odubel Herrera and last year's primary catcher, the man acquired at last year's Winter Meetings to be the catcher of the future, Mike Zunino.

Also leaving were were highly regarded prospects in outfielder Victor Robles and shortstop Willy Adames, and pitching prospects Jake Thompson, Lucas Sims and Rookie Davis. The team acquired highly regarded pitching prospect Blake Snell, only to turn around and swap him out a week later.

Coming to the team is catcher Blake Swihart, who now takes on that "catcher of the future" label previously held by Zunino. The club hopes that Swihart can earn that job right away in 2016, and hold it for a number of years, ala Matt Wieters from 2010-13.

Also coming in was highly regarded shortstop prospect Brendan Rodgers. Considered by many as the top talent available in the 2015 MLB Amateur Draft, he went 3rd overall to Colorado. Rodgers slots behind J.P. Crawford in the A's pecking order, but should create a tremendous battle for the longterm starting role.

The A's also landed a handful of what they consider top pitching prospects in Hunter Harvey, Jose Berrios, Jose De Leon, and Chris Anderson. Berrios and De Leon could see the mound in Philly this coming season.

The wheeling and dealing, and some astute prior trades and signings, all came together earlier this month when the Athletics organization was named to the top spot in the WFBL Futures rankings. Both Harvey and Rodgers were included among 15 prospects percolating in the minor league system while holding spots on at least one of the top major evaluations service Top 100 lists.

The club dealt away the 1st round 2016 Minors Draft picks of Vancouver and Montreal which they controlled, their own 1st round picks in the 2017 and 2019 Minors Drafts, and five 2nd round picks in the next few years, as well as a handful of lower round draft choices and one lower Majors Draft pick.

But Veasey also brought back two 1st round Minors picks in 2017, a 1st round Minors pick in 2018, and a few 2nd rounders. The net effect is that the club currently holds no picks in this coming 2016 Minors Draft. But they will have three high picks in 2017, and picks in each of the first three rounds in 2018.