Last July, the A's traded veteran relievers Sean Doolittle and Ryan Madson to the Nationals. Oakland fans were understandably disappointed to see them go, but the A's received some excellent young talent in return, acquiring RHP Blake Treinen, LHP Jesus Luzardo, and infielder Sheldon Neuse.
While it is far too early to determine which team "won" the trade, we can at least begin to evaluate the players Oakland added.
Blake Treinen
At the age of 29, Treinen has shown he has what it takes to be an effective Major League closer. Since joining the A's, Treinen has appeared in 43 games, allowing just 11 earned runs in 50 innings for an ERA of 1.98. He has converted 16 of his 21 save opportunities.
Treinen immediately helped fill the bullpen void left by the departures of Doolittle and Madson. His four-seam fastball and sinker consistently register in the high 90s, and his slider has baffled hitters this season.
Treinen has all-star closer stuff, and he is a bargain financially, making $2.15 million this season. He won't be an unrestricted free agent until 2021, so the A's appear to have their closer for the next few years.
Jesus Luzardo
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Luzardo could be the biggest prize in the entire trade. A third-round draft pick out of high school in 2016, the 6-1 left-hander is still just 20 years old and already in Double-A, a rare feat.
Luzardo dominated at High-A Stockton this season, striking out 25 batters in 14 2/3 innings, while allowing just two runs on six hits. He was promoted to Double-A Midland earlier this week, giving up two runs in five innings in his debut, and striking out five.
MLB Pipeline ranks Luzardo as the A's second best prospect, and the eighth best LHP prospect in all of baseball
Luzardo's fastball clocks in the high 90s, and he has an above average breaking ball and changeup. He got his first taste of the big leagues in Spring Training, pitching six scoreless innings and striking out six, including two-time MVP Mike Trout. Luzardo is definitely on the fast track to the big leagues.
Sheldon Neuse
Neuse (pronounced 'noisy') has primarily played third base, but can also play shortstop, second base, and even first base if needed. The 23-year-old starred at the University of Oklahoma and was selected in the second round of the 2016 MLB Draft.
A right-handed hitter, Neuse is off to a slow start this season at Triple-A Nashville, batting just .153 through 18 games. But he has shown tremendous ability in previous seasons. In 22 games with High-A Stockton last year, Neuse hit .386 with seven home runs and 22 RBI. He was promoted to Double-A Midland, where he batted .373 in 18 games.
Like Luzardo, Neuse joined the A's for Spring Training, batting an impressive .310 with five home runs and 15 RBI in 58 at-bats. MLB Pipeline ranks him as Oakland's 11th best prospect.
Analysis
Again, it is way too early to declare either team the winner of this trade. Doolittle, 31, and Madson, 37, have both pitched well for the Nationals, helping to shore up their struggling bullpen.
But A's fans have to be excited about the players they added, especially Luzardo. If the talented southpaw reaches his full potential, this could wind up being a steal for Oakland. For now, we'll call it a win-win, as both teams got what they needed out of the deal.
