Athletics trade Ben Zobrist to Royals - CBSSports.com
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Athletics trade Ben Zobrist to Royals
Athletics trade Ben Zobrist to Royals
A few days after landing Johnny Cueto, the Royals have acquired Ben Zobrist from the Athletics for two pitching prospects.
Jul 28, 2015
• 1 min read
As if the Johnny Cueto trade left any doubt, the Royals are going all in this year. Kansas City has acquired second baseman Ben Zobrist from the Athletics , the team announced. Minor league pitchers Aaron Brooks and Sean Manaea are heading to the A's in the deal.
P Aaron Brooks
Zobrist, 34, is hitting .268/.354/.447 (122 OPS+) with 20 doubles, six home runs, 33 walks and 26 strikeouts in 67 games for Oakland this season. He missed some time with minor knee surgery a few weeks ago. The A's acquired Zobrist from the Rays back during the offseason.
Although he is versatile enough to play almost anywhere on the field, Zobrist figures to step in and play second base every day with the Royals. Omar Infante is hitting a weak .230/.244/.316 (53 OPS+) so far this year and will likely find himself in a bench role now.
Manaea, 23, is the prized prospect in the deal. Baseball America ranked the southpaw as the 81st-best prospect in the game before the season. The Royals selected Manaea with the 34th-overall pick in the 2013 draft. He has a 3.69 ERA in 31 2/3 minor-league innings this season while missing time with an abdominal issue.
Brooks, 25, has some big-league time with the Royals, totaling seven innings from 2014-15. He has a 3.81 ERA and 1.28 WHIP in 245 2/3 career Triple-A innings. Brooks, a righty, could step right in to help the Athletics at the major-league level if necessary, perhaps out of the bullpen.
Between Cueto and Zobrist, the Royals have made two significant upgrades without sacrificing much off their major league roster. Another outfielder to help fill-in during Alex Gordon 's injury -- or replace the unproductive Alex Rios -- could be in the cards before Friday's trade deadline.
The A's, meanwhile, are in full-blown sell mode. They are last in the AL West at 44-56 and have already traded Scott Kazmir and Tyler Clippard. Zobrist was their last highly-sought-after rental player.
Kansas City comes into Tuesday with a 60-38 record. They have a healthy eight-game lead in the AL Central. They're already planning for October.
Ben Zobrist is the newest member of the Royals. (USATSI)