A's Top Two Trade Candidates Could be of Interest to Blue Jays, Giants

The first is Luis Severino, who is ranked No. 22. The reason he'd be intriguing for the Blue Jays is that despite having a 4.83 ERA, his numbers away from West Sacramento have been pretty good.

In fact, he had a sub-1.00 ERA on the road heading into Tuesday's game against the Detroit Tigers, but they roughed him up for seven runs across five innings, which pushed that ERA to 2.27. Severino has a history of facing the teams in the AL East, and is listed as a potential fit for the Jays. Toronto's starters held an ERA of 4.65, ranking them No .26, heading into Tuesday's game.

The reason this trade may not work is the contract that Severino is signed to. Back in December, the A's inked him for two years plus a player option year for a total of $67 million across three seasons. The veteran righty has been outspoken about playing in Sacramento, and this could be a way to recoup some value for the club. In order to move him, the A's would likely have to eat a bit of the deal, however.

The other piece of this would be that Severino was signed to show people that the A's aren't going to operate the same way as they had for decades in Oakland, so to trade him halfway through his first season would be a little counterintuitive from a public relations standpoint. That deal is also the largest contract in A's history, so to not pay it in full wouldn't be the best decision for the long-term plan of build up a fanbase.

Still, it would make sense in a baseball sense. Severino is one of the few pieces on the roster that's not nailed down as a core piece for the future, and the A's certainly need help in a few areas to get to where they're hoping to go.

Giants could use an upgrade at second

The other member of the top-50 trade pieces is Luis Urías, who is ranked at No. 39. Now, the Giants are listed as a potential fit for a number of top trade pieces, from Jarren Duran to Eugeino Suarez and Josh Naylor--basically any hitter available, But in looking at their production at second base this year, Urías could be a solid under-the-radar trade acquisition for them.

The Giants rank No. 27 in wRC+ at second base with a 67 (100 is league average), while Urías has been quite the find for the Athletics, posting a 110 wRC+ while largely playing second. The Giants also just optioned Tyler Fitzgerald to Triple-A, and he'd been hitting just .230 with a .289 OBP and a 73 wRC+. On Tuesday it was Christian Koss that was handling second.

On top of his 110 wRC+, Urías is batting .253 with a .339 OBP and has added seven home runs for the A's. He's played slightly better at home, but doesn't have the same splits as Severino on the road. It's more of a .252 to .242 batting average kind of change.

Now the A's don't typically make trades with the Giants, but this could be one of those deals where the stars align. The Giants could use an upgrade, and the A's have one that is also a free agent at the end of the year. He's not going to cost too much in a deal, and the potential return for the A's may already be fairly familiar with their home ballpark. It's a win-win all the way around.

In addition, the A's should be getting second baseman Zack Gelof back from the IL before long, which will make it a little trickier to find Urías consistent playing time. He could be moved sooner rather than later.