Jed Lowrie returning to Oakland after A's-Astros trade

Ask any Oakland Athletics fans, and they'll probably tell you that they have become accustom to not getting too attached to players on the team. That’s just how the A’s tend to operate — players don’t typically stick around.

So it probably came as a bit of a shock to the fan base to wake up and hear that a familiar face was returning to the Bay Area ball club.

Such is the case with Jed Lowrie, who was reacquired by Oakland on Wednesday from the Houston Astros in exchange for minor league right-hander Brendan McCurry.

Jane Lee of MLB.com broke down the acquisition:

Lowrie hit .271 over two seasons with the A's following his trade from Houston on Feb. 4, 2013, before he re-signed with the Astros as a free agent last offseason for three years and $23 million, with a fourth-year club option worth $6 million. 

The veteran infielder, who will be 32 in April, will make $7.5 million in 2016 and $6.5 million in 2017. He hit .222 with a .712 OPS over 69 games with the Astros this past season.

Susan Slusser of The San Francisco Chronicle reported that, while Lowrie had hoped to keep playing in Houston, he is happy to return somewhere familiar:

“Obviously, when I signed in Houston, I was hoping to spend three years there; I could see the direction they were heading in,” Lowrie said of the Astros, who were a wild card team this this past season. “But I respect Bob Melvin and I enjoyed playing for him a lot. It’s nice to know what to expect going there, there is that familiarity. But I don’t even know a lot of the guys there now."

Bringing Lowrie back gives the A’s infield depth, with his expertise in a number of positions, although it doesn't seem likely that he would be taking a starting job given his history with injuries. The A’s have not yet told Lowrie what role he will be fulfilling come the start of the season, Slusser reported.

Lowrie batted .290 with 21 home runs and 125 RBI with the A's in 2013 and 2014.