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Craig Gentry was six holes into a round of golf Tuesday when he got a call from Texas Rangers general manager Jon Daniels, telling him he’d been traded to the Oakland A’s.
“I had to cut my golf game a bit short,” Gentry said with a touch of humor.
Such is the current state of all things A’s. The front office is wheeling and dealing so fast that no players should be surprised by a phone call informing them they’re Oakland-bound.
The A’s have kept up an incredibly torrid pace Tuesday. They acquired Gentry, a fleet-footed outfielder, and reliever Josh Lindblom from the Rangers in exchange for outfielder Michael Choice and minor league infielder Chris Bostick. A few hours later, they announced an afternoon trade that sent outfielder Seth Smith to the San Diego Padres in exchange for right-hander Luke Gregerson.
[NEWS: A's acquired Gregerson for Smith]
And those two moves came on the heels of Oakland agreeing to terms Monday with free agent lefty Scott Kazmir on a two-year $22 million contract, then completing a late-night trade that sent second baseman Jemile Weeks to Baltimore for closer Jim Johnson.
[NEWS: A's acquire Johnson | A's acquire Kazmir]
Choice was the A’s first-round pick in 2010 and was positioned to perhaps earn a roster spot this spring. Oakland shipped the Arlington, Texas native to his hometeam team and got back Gentry, one of the fastest players in the majors and considered to be an excellent outfield defender. He’s a .280 career hitter over five big league seasons and stole a career-high 24 bases in 2013.
As the outfield currently stands, Gentry can serve as an excellent backup option at any of the three positions and be a speed threat off the bench.
Lindblom has spent parts of three seasons in the majors, with 104 of his 109 appearances coming in relief. Bostick, a 44th round pick in 2011, spent 2013 with low Single-A Beloit and hit .282 with 14 homers, 89 RBI and 25 stolen bases.
