Oakland A’s trade Brett Eibner to Dodgers for Jordan Tarsovich

The Oakland A’s made a minor trade on Wednesday, sending outfielder Brett Eibner to the Dodgers, according to Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports. In return, Oakland received minor league infielder Jordan Tarsovich, reports Jane Lee of MLB.com.

Eibner had been designated for assignment on Friday, so while his departure wasn’t guaranteed it also doesn’t come as a surprise. He was acquired by the A’s last summer from the Royals for Billy Burns, but he didn’t play well once here. In 44 games, Eibner managed to be worth half a win below replacement-level, with a poor showing on both sides of the ball at age 27.

He has a strong Triple-A track record, so there’s still hope (and reason for the Dodgers to be interested in a look), but Oakland simply ran out of room on its crowded roster. Their current outfield features Khris Davis, Rajai Davis, Matt Joyce, and Jake Smolinski, with depth options including prospect Jaycob Brugman and non-roster fliers Alejandro De Aza and Jaff Decker.

Eibner, 2016 A’s: 123 PAs, .165/.252/.303, 53 wRC+, 3 HR, 10.6% BB, 22.0% Ks, -0.5 WAR*

* average of -0.7 bWAR and -0.3 fWAR

The fact that the A’s got anything at all in return for Eibner, rather than simply losing him on waivers, is a nice bonus. Tarsovich, who turns 26 next season, split last year between High-A and Double-A. Despite his age, it was the first full pro season for the former 22nd-round pick, and he held his own in the upper minors while displaying impressive plate discipline. On defense, he played 2B, SS, and 3B. He was not listed among the Dodgers Top 48 prospects by John Sickels earlier this month.

Tarsovich, 2016 (A+): 120 PAs, .223/.325/.417, 101 wRC+, 5 HR, 10.8% BB, 25.0% Ks
Tarsovich, 2016 (AA): 198 PAs, .219/.325/.343, 96 wRC+, 4 HR, 13.1% BB, 16.2% Ks

Note: He played High-A in the Cal League and Double-A in the Texas League, just like A’s prospects do.