A's Sean Murphy could soon be the next young star to be traded
The A's are at the Winter Meetings. General manager David Forst is interested in signing some free agents. The A’s have the best chance of getting the No. 1 overall pick in the MLB draft lottery on Tuesday night. They have an active payroll of $0. Last season, the team won only 26 games. It was the second 100-loss season in its 54 years in Oakland. For st, it's his first big test as the new head of baseball operations after Billy Beane stepped aside.
Murphy is a Gold Glove winner and Silver Slugger Award finalist. He's the A's only major trade chip left after they dealt Matt Olson and Matt Chapman last year. The Guardians are reportedly the most aggressive of Murphy's many suitors. Other suitor's include the Cardinals, Twins, Rays, Padres, Red Sox, Braves, Cubs and White Sox. Shea Langeliers, who was acquired from Atlanta in the Olson deal, is Murphy’s replacement. Seth Brown is also a target, but Forst is content to keep him.
The A's are the only team without a signed contract for the 2023 season. Their current payroll is $0. They are receiving financial support from MLB. Forst says he's ready to dip into the free-agent market. The A’s are expected to get more than enough “baseball welfare” funds to cover their current projected 20th century payroll. MLB sold the last shares of its streaming video company to Disney earlier this week. The players union had complained about the teams not properly using the revenue-sharing funds. It should be a moot point this time as the A're intend to pursue free agents.
