A's get versatile Valencia off waiver claim from Blue Jays
The wheeling and dealing carried out by the Toronto Blue Jays ahead of the July 31 trading deadline had positive ramifications for the Oakland Athletics.
On Monday, the A's picked up infielder/outfielder Danny Valencia on a waiver claim from Toronto, which had designated him for assignment over the weekend to facilitate the addition of Ben Revere.
When considering Valencia's stats, it's amazing he was a DFA option: so far in 2015, he's hitting .296/.331/.506 with seven home runs and 29 RBIs in 58 games.
In fact, many online baseball enthusiasts more or less counted down the time until the A's were able to place a waiver claim on Valencia, as he's essentially a perfect fit for the A's style of baseball. In his career, Valencia hits a robust .326/.368/.487 against left-handed pitching, as opposed to .267/.367/.634 versus right-handers.
Given his offensive splits, it makes sense for Oakland to add him into the mix, especially having traded Ben Zobrist to the Kansas City Royals prior to the deadline.
As Oakland assistant general manager David Forst told Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle, the club definitely had its eyes on Valencia: "Danny is having an excellent year offensively. His defensive versatility and track record of success against left-handed pitching fit our roster very well."
Slusser added that the move may result in Brett Lawrie shifting over to second base a bit more:
With Valencia's arrival, there is a strong chance Brett Lawrie winds up at 2B more often. #Athletics like Lawrie at 2B a lot.
— Susan Slusser (@susanslusser) August 3, 2015
For A's fans, Valencia brings with him an active social media presence as well. Here are a few selected tweets involving pop culture, Tom Brady, a mastery of emojis and his farewell to the Blue Jays:
With Valencia arbitration eligible after this season and a free agent after the 2018 campaign, how he fits in with the A's long-term plans will be something to watch as things progress.
