Athletics Interested In Andrew Vaughn

The White Sox have been among the many many groups showing interest within the Athletics’ obtainable starters, with Sean Manaea and Frankie Montas on Chicago’s goal checklist.  Manaea has since been dealt to the Padres, with USA Today’s Bob Nightengale reporting that the White Sox “practically” landed Manaea as an alternative, and are nonetheless taking a look at Montas.  Nevertheless, the A’s need younger slugger Andrew Vaughn again in return, and the Sox are balking on the demand.

It isn’t shocking that the A’s would make such a giant ask, contemplating that Montas is underneath group management by the 2023 season.  Likewise, it’s pure that the White Sox wouldn’t be desirous to half with a former star prospect who was already within the majors lower than two years after being picked third total within the 2019 draft.

Oakland is also trying to leverage Chicago’s sudden lack of pitching depth, as Lance Lynn (knee surgical procedure) might be on the injured checklist till late Could and Lucas Giolito (stomach tightness) can be on the verge of being positioned on the IL for what appears to be like like could possibly be nearly all of April.  The White Sox did not too long ago signal Johnny Cueto, however the veteran will want some ramp-up time after lacking all of Spring Coaching, and won’t be obtainable for a number of weeks anyway.

Dylan Cease, Dallas Keuchel, Michael Kopech, and Vince Velasquez are actually the highest 4 within the White Sox rotation, with Reynaldo Lopez, Jimmy Lambert, or Tanner Banks candidates to fill in for Giolito.  Including a pitcher of Montas’ caliber could be a significant assist each within the quick future and past, as that is the final assured season of Keuchel’s contract, and it appears unlikely that the Sox will train their $20MM membership choice on his companies for 2023.

Then once more, Vaughn can be a doable long-term reply as an inheritor obvious to 35-year-old Jose Abreu, who can be within the closing season of his contract.  There does stay a stable likelihood that the Sox will signal Abreu to a different extension, so Vaughn might play in a primary base/DH timeshare with Abreu, or maybe see extra time as a nook outfielder, even when Vaughn isn’t ideally suited to outfield work.

One other complicating issue is that the White Sox might additionally use Vaughn’s bat proper now, on condition that the damage bug has additionally prolonged to the place participant facet.  Yoan Moncada is on the 10-day IL with an indirect pressure and AJ Pollock left yesterday’s recreation with a sore hamstring, although Pollock doesn’t consider the damage is very critical.

Vaughn hit .235/.309/.396 with 15 homers over 469 plate appearances in his 2021 rookie season, leading to a 93 OPS+/94 wRC+.  These are definitely respectable numbers for a participant’s first style of the majors, particularly since Vaughn nonetheless has so little total professional expertise.  After being drafted, Vaughn performed in 55 minor league video games in 2019 however then didn’t see any official recreation motion in any respect in 2020 because of the canceled minor league season, as an alternative doing his work at Chicago’s alternate coaching website.  Vaughn spoke with The Athletic’s James Fegan about his rookie yr and the changes he has made each on the plate and within the area, which incorporates even taking some grounders at third base as a doable fallback choice in Moncada’s absence.

Between Vaughn’s prospect pedigree and his large league-readiness, he’s the kind of participant the A’s have historically focused on the commerce market, significantly throughout their most up-to-date selloff of notable veterans.  The likes of Cristian Pache, Shea Langoliers, Adrian Martinez, Kevin Smith, and Adam Oller have all been acquired for the reason that finish of the lockout, with Pache, Smith, and Oller already on the lively roster.