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Here is Ken Rosenthal again breaking A's news:
Source: #Athletics acquire Jim Johnson from #Orioles for 2B Jemile Weeks.
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) December 3, 2013
It was a foregone conclusion that Jemile Weeks' days in Oakland were over after his disastrous 2012 campaign and being relegated to pinch running duties in MLB since then. The only question is who would be his suitor. It turns out it is the Orioles' lucky day.
In Jim Johnson, the A's acquire a "proven closer" who may make as much as $10.8M in 2014, according to MLBTR. It's a strange move for the A's, albeit a relatively risk-free one: Weeks had no place with the club in the future, and Johnson costs only money for this year. He will be a free agent after 2014, and should he have a good enough season in Oakland, it's possible he could be given a qualifying offer that he would decline, netting the A's a draft pick in 2015. While re-signing Balfour makes some sense, the A's likely did not want to tie themselves into multiple years and more money associated with that.
Update: the A's have announced the trade themselves:
The #Athletics have acquired Orioles closer Jim Johnson in exchange for infielder Jemile Weeks and a player to be named later.
— Oakland Athletics (@Athletics) December 3, 2013
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