Why Athletics' Jonah Heim Could Be Traded Today

The team also sent infielder Brett Harris to the Boston Red Sox for a minor league arm. The trade bolstered the infield depth for a Boston team that lacks infielders, and even traded for Curtis Mead, but he was injured in his Sox debut in Sacramento.

With the catcher market looking dry, as Ryan Jeffers, Hunter Goodman, and Tyler Stephenson are yet to be dealt, that could mean those teams are holding onto their backstops. We have discussed why trading Shea Langeliers, a franchise catcher, is a bad idea. Those same reasons likely apply to these other teams that want to hold onto their catchers.

Jonah Heim Could Be Traded Today

The A's, since losing Shea Langeliers for the season, have been getting everyday play out of Jonah Heim. Heim was getting regular play before this, as he has been a really clutch bat for the A's, as well as providing nice matchups for Mark Kotsay as a switch-hitter.

This season, Heim holds a .723 OPS and a .232 batting average and is a solid catcher behind the plate. There are better options behind the plate for contenders, but Heim likely won't cost as much and is more likely to be moved.

Heim is also a veteran with experience catching for good baseball teams, and could be a good option for contenders looking for a cheaper option, but he can still see good production for the remainder of the season.

Lots of Demand for Catching, Not a Lot of Supply

There is a handful of teams in need of catching help, and it seems like the catching market is a little bit drier than we all anticipated.

Names like Jeffers, Goodman, Adley Rutschman, and Langeliers, before his injury, were all thrown around as possible trade candidates.

However, because the catcher position is a crucial piece of your defense, and those players are also offensive weapons, teams might decide to hold onto them.

Because Heim is a pending free agent, and the A's are falling out of contention, there's a good chance he gets dealt today.