The Daily Bernie, 7/6/15: All-Star selections announced

Welcome back to the Daily Bernie! Let’s agree not to talk about last night’s A’s game. Anyways, it’s the best dance in the game, so let’s get rolling once more!

• On Tuesday afternoon, the initial rosters for the 87th annual All-Star Game were announced. These rosters are not yet finalized, as one more player will be added to each through the Final Vote and many pitchers will be replaced due to either injury or pitching the Sunday before the game. The A’s, as of this time, only have one representative in catcher Stephen Vogt, selected by manager Ned Yost as a reserve. Vogt, in the midst of a somewhat lackluster 2016, was chosen due to the requirement that the A’s have a representative and a weak catching corps overall in the American League. However, A’s reliever Ryan Dull could end up replacing the injured Wade Davis, as Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle calls Dull the “obvious choice” to replace Davis. Dull certainly deserves it, having set a major league record with a streak of 36 inherited runners stranded to start the season. The current All-Star Game rosters can be found here.
• The Texas Rangers and Tampa Bay Rays have discussed a deal that would send righty Jake Odorizzi to Texas, reports Jim Bowden of ESPN. While a deal is not imminent, the Rays have been focused on some of the Rangers’ young bats. Odorizzi, while far from a star, is a consistent mid-rotation pitcher and the weak pitching market along with his three remaining years of team control mean that Tampa Bay could fetch a strong return for him. The Rangers certainly need the pitching help, with three key members of their rotation - Yu Darvish, Colby Lewis, and Derek Holland - currently on the disabled list.
• The Pittsburgh Pirates’ star third baseman Jung-Ho Kang is reportedly under investigation following a sexual assault claim, according to Stacy St. Clair and David Heinzmann of the Chicago Tribune. Whether the allegation is true or not, this is still horrible news for the game of baseball and for our society as a whole. Chicago police are currently investigating the case. In the meantime, Kang will remain with the Pirates.
• The St. Louis Cardinals could look to add to a weakened bullpen at the trade deadline this year, writes Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Specifically mentioned are Arizona closer Brad Ziegler and and Yankee southpaws Andrew Miller and Aroldis Chapman. The Cardinals are in need of relief help after an injury to lefty Kevin Siegrist and poor performance by former closer Trevor Rosenthal. At 43-40 and nine games back, the St. Louis will have to act fast if they want to catch the league-leading Chicago Cubs.

Bernie’s Daily Deal: A prospect package to the San Diego Padres for Wil Myers

I know, this is a long shot. The more conventional and likely trade proposals for this July involve the A’s selling pieces, as all in the game expect them to do. However, I believe it would make some sense for the A’s to pounce on a young star and do what they can to add to their veteran core. While highly unlikely, Padres first baseman Wil Myers makes a ton of sense for the team now and in the future.

Per Jon Heyman of todaysknuckleball.com, the Padres are “open” to trading Myers. However, a source later told Heyman that it would take a strong package, potentially of four top prospects, for San Diego to bite. Myers is enjoying a breakout year, hitting .290/.357/.539 with 19 homers and 13 stolen bases and settling in nicely at first base. The 25 year-old has three years of team control remaining after 2016 and would slot directly into the middle of Oakland’s lineup.

While the A’s have plenty of young corner infield prospects, a proven all-around stud is exactly what the team needs long term. Some of this infield glut, such as prospects Matt Olson, Renato Nunez, and Chad Pinder could also interest San Diego as a part of the trade. Youngsters the A’s receive in trades for Rich Hill and other veterans could also be sent to the Padres, and the struggling club could take a chance on a player like Billy Burns as well. Overall, a deal could look something like Burns, Olson, and two or three other solid prospects such as Pinder, Nunez, Yairo Munoz, and/or Dillon Overton. Again, while this might not be the most realistic or likely trade proposal, it is one that could work well for the A’s now and down the road.

That’s all for today. Sonny Gray and the Oakland Athletics take on Ervin Santana and the Minnesota Twins in the rubbermatch of the three game set at 10:10 AM PST. Feel free to dump any links in the comments below. Until tomorrow - lean on, A’s fans!