A little trade action in baseball today as some front offices might be looking to wrap things up before taking a short holiday (though not really, since the activity never quite winds down entirely):
The Astros traded infielder Jed Lowrie to the A’s. Does that sound familiar? That’s because they’ve done it before – a couple years ago – after which Lowrie signed with the Astros in free agency, and now he’s headed back to the A’s for a decent relief prospect:
OFFICIAL: The A's acquire IF Jed Lowrie from Houston for minor league RHP Brendan McCurry.
— #Voteland 5 x Daily (@Athletics) November 25, 2015
The A’s will be picking up all of the money the 31-year-old Lowrie is owed – $15 million over the next two years (including a $1M buyout on a 2018 options). He had some great years in Oakland, so maybe they’re hoping he’ll rekindle that magic.
Meanwhile, the Pirates picked up recently DFA’d pitcher Allen Webster from the Diamondbacks for cash:
The #Pirates today acquired right-handed pitcher Allen Webster (@11webster11) from the @Dbacks in exchange for cash considerations.
— Pirates (@Pirates) November 25, 2015
Webster, 25, was once a near top-tier prospect in the Dodgers organization, and was traded to the D-Backs as an important piece of the Wade Miley trade. But a very down 2015 season doomed him in Arizona, and now the Pirates will try to reclaim him … which they’re really, really good at. I really wish Webster had landed somewhere else.
Also, the Orioles got outfielder L.J. Hoes back from the Astros, prompting one of the best baseball tweets I’ve ever seen:
It's a shame the Orioles didn't find a way to acquire Rex Brothers before bringing back L.J. Hoes
— Eric Stephen (@truebluela) November 25, 2015