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Athletics third baseman Josh Donaldson has been traded to the Toronto Blue Jays for infielder Brett Lawrie, right-handed pitcher Kendall Graveman, and others, according to a tweet by Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. Pitcher Josh Lindblom and first baseman Kyle Blanks have been designated for assignment to clear space on the 40-man roster.
Class A SS Franklin Barreto also in Donaldson deal, going from #BlueJays to #Athletics.
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) November 29, 2014
Sean Nolin was the last piece of the deal:
Full trade: Josh Donaldson to Blue Jays, A's get Brett Lawrie, pitchers Kendall Graveman and Sean Nolin, SS Franklin Barreto. Deal done.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) November 29, 2014
Some quick notes on the arriving players:
Brett Lawrie
Lawrie will turn 25 for the 2015 season. The second and third baseman is entering arbitration for the first time and is projected to earn $1.8 million at arbitration according to the model from MLB Trade Rumors. He will reach free agency after 2017.
Lawrie's value is hampered by his injury history, which limited him to 70 games in 2014. Despite the limited action, he put up a 1.7 fWAR season in 2014, though a bit short of the 2.4 fWAR season he put up in 2012 over 125 games. Steamer projections project him to put up a 3.7 fWAR season over 130 games in 2015.
Defensively, Lawrie has spent far more time in the Major Leagues at third base, but had more time at second base in the minors. Lawrie was on pace for a Gold Glove-caliber season at third base with a 14.9 UZR/150. His 2013 was an average -0.1 UZR/150, but 2012 was an above average 5.6.
Sean Nolin
Left-handed pitcher Sean Nolin will turn 25 for the 2015 season. Nolin has at least one option year remaining, and is under team control until at least 2020. Nolin was rated as MLB's #97 overall prospect by Baseballprospectus.com after 2013 and the Jays #10 prospect by Baseball America after 2013. In an abbreviated Triple-A campaign due to a groin strain, Nolin completed his first significant time at Triple-A with a 3.50 ERA over 17 starts and 87⅓ innings.
Kendall Graveman
Right-handed pitcher Kendall Graveman will turn 24 for the 2015 season. Graveman is under team control until at least 2020. Graveman advanced extraordinarily quickly through the Toronto Blue Jays system, starting 2014 in Class Low-A Lansing and moving up to Triple-A before getting called up to the Major Leagues by Toronto in September. With the Blue Jays, he pitched 4⅔ innings in relief, conceding just two earned runs, striking out four, and walking none.
Franklin Barreto
Franklin Barreto was an international free agent signing and will turn 19 for the 2015 season. The shortstop was the #5 prospect in the Blue Jays system after 2013 according to Baseball America. He is expected to play in his first full-season ball, and does not need to be protected from the Rule 5 draft until the December 2017 draft. Baseball America national writer Ben Badler has this to say about Barreto in wake of the trade:
Franklin Barreto is a natural hitter. Quick hands, compact stroke, knack for the barrel. Good speed, but not a shortstop. 2B/CF most likely.
— Ben Badler (@BenBadler) November 29, 2014
