Braves swing annual trade with the Athletics

Allen is a strong defensive shortstop but has not hit well at all in three seasons with the A’s.

Across the last three years, spanning 247 games, the former third-round pick has a .209/.254/.283 slash line with nine home runs, which equates to a 55 OPS+.

Most recently, Allen batted .175 with a home run and a .463 OPS in 41 games with the A’s last year. That’s pretty horrific stuff, but it’s clear the Braves are just trying to fill in the depth, and Allen is a versatile defender.

In exchange, the Braves sent the A’s Jared Johnson, who was drafted in the 14th round of the 2019 MLB Amateur Draft. The 225-pound hurler has spent six seasons in Atlanta’s farm system but missed 2022 due to Tommy John and 2020 due to the pandemic, most recently appearing in Rome as a reliever.

Over his four seasons, he has a 3.98 ERA in 87 games, including 27 starts, with 225 strikeouts and 109 walks. Across 38 appearances for the Emperors last year, Johnson accumulated a 2.60 ERA in 52.0 innings with an impressive 10.6 K/9. A 23-year-old in Rome is probably as expendable as they get in the Braves farm system. Moreover, Jared Johnson would have been eligible for next month’s Rule 5 Draft.

Alex Anthopoulos is already wheeling and dealing this offseason, and what better way to follow up the Jorge Soler trade than by going back to the Athletics’ well?