Semien leaves Oakland for Toronto; what’s next for the A’s at shortstop?
The free agent exodus from Oakland continues, and these hurt.
Marcus Semien, the Bay Area native who transformed into an MVP-caliber shortstop, signed a oneyear, $18 million deal with the Toronto Blue Jays.
The second came later when it was learned second baseman Tommy La Stella is reportedly ready to join the Giants.
Semien, 30, said he’d hoped to return to his hometown team, and the A’s were said to have been trying to bring Semien back.
But $18 million would top their most expensive contract by nearly $2 million (Khris Davis will earn $16.5 million next year). The A’s did not extend Semien the qualifying offer, which was worth $18.9 million.
The Blue Jays are in spend mode, having recently signed
outfielder George Springer to a six-year, $150 million deal earlier this month.
Along with Liam Hendriks, Robbie Grossman and Mike Minor, Semien and La Stella are now the fourth and fifth free agents to leave Oakland this offseason; the A’s had 10 to start.
Who might replace Semien? If they don’t chase a new face in free agency, the A’s have some options and depth in the middle infield. Chad Pinder could be an immediate option to slide into a regular shortstop role. Nick Allen, a non-roster invite this spring, is still a year or so away from a big leagues. But the A’s No. 4 prospect is known for his flashy glove at short and is projected to be one of the top defensive shortstops in baseball.
Free-agent shortstop Andrelton Simmons could have been a target, but he reportedly signed with the Twins.
The A’s are used to this whiplash. Watching beloved players leave and having to turn their attention to the next in line. Semien came to Oakland in 2015 from the Chicago White Sox along with Chris Bassitt and Josh Phegley. First known for his defensive struggles, the A’s (with a lot of help from Ron Washington) coached him into becoming a solid shortstop that earned a Gold Glove nomination in 2019.
Semien’s work in Oakland peaked that 2019 year, when he batted a career-high .285 with a .892 OPS and registered a 8.9 WAR, the third best behind Los Angeles’ Cody Bellinger and Houston’s Alex Bregman. It earned Semien a third-place finish in that year’s AL MVP voting.