Holliday to Oakland?
OAKLAND, CA – Matt Holliday’s trade to the Oakland Athletics was nearly completed Tuesday and an announcement was expected soon.
Bet on Major League Baseball
The Colorado Rockies were set to send Holliday to the A’s for reliever Huston Street, left-hander Greg Smith and outfielder Carlos Gonzalez. The teams were reviewing the players’ physicals and an announcement was anticipated early Wednesday, two people with knowledge of the discussions said. Both spoke on condition of anonymity because the trade wasn’t finalized.
Holliday was in the Bay Area on Tuesday to meet with A’s officials and be examined. The star outfielder is due to make $13.5 million next season and then will be eligible to become a free agent.
Runner-up for the NL MVP award last year, the 28-year-old Holliday would provide the big bat in the middle of Oakland’s lineup that general manager Billy Beane was hoping to land this offseason.
s MVP, Holliday would be a major acquisition for a club accustomed to losing star players to big-spending teams.
Holliday has 128 homers and 483 RBIs in five big league seasons. His best year was 2007, when he won the NL batting title with a .340 average. He also had 36 homers and a league-best 137 RBIs in helping the Rockies reach the World Series. He finished second to Philadelphia shortstop Jimmy Rollins for NL MVP.
Smith underwent an operation late last month to remove loose bodies from his pitching elbow. The 24-year-old went 7-16 with a 4.16 ERA in 32 starts and 190 2-3 innings during his first major league season.
Street, a 25-year-old right-hander, was demoted from his job as Oakland’s closer this season and finished 7-5 with a 3.73 ERA and 18 saves in 25 chances. He would join a bullpen that includes Manny Corpas but is expected to lose closer Brian Fuentes in free agency. Street can become a free agent after the 2010 season.
Like Smith, the 23-year-old Gonzalez just finished his first big league season. He hit .242 with four homers and 26 RBIs in 302 at-bats.
Smith and Gonzalez, considered a top prospect, came to the A’s last offseason in the blockbuster trade that sent ace Dan Haren to Arizona.
Did you like this article? Subscribe to our Baseball news feed for the fastest updates delivered right to you – Click here to Subscribe
Posted: 11/12/08 12:25 AM ET
