Three potential trade candidates for the Athletics

The Athletics' once promising season has fallen apart. 

The A's had a 22-20 record on May 13, having crushed the Dodgers 11-1. That victory would be the high point of the season as the A's lost 20 of their next 21 games, falling out of playoff contention. The A's are once more looking ahead, both to their eventual move to Las Vegas and to when their young players take the next step in their development.

The A's will be sellers once more at the trade deadline. Let's take a look at three players who could be on the move.

Infielder Luis Urias

Signed to a one-year, $1.1 million contract during the offseason, Urias has been a solid part of the A's lineup. He has taken over as the A's primary second baseman as Zack Gelof is on the Injured List, posting a respectable .248/.332/.383 batting line with seven homers and seven doubles in his 238 plate appearances.

While Urias can nominally fill in at second and third defensively, he is best utilized at the hot corner. Urias has also historically been a respectable hitter against left-handed pitching, posting a .260/.342/.430 batting line with 18 homers and 22 doubles in 524 plate appearances. Urias could be a solid platoon bat or bench option for a contending team.

Relief pitcher T.J. McFarland

McFarland has struggled this season, posting a 5.52 ERA and a 1.773 WHiP over his 14.2 innings, striking out seven batters with three walks. However, other metrics indicate that his bloated ERA and WHiP could be the result of bad luck. Opponents have a .359/.397/.578 batting line in their 68 plate appearances, fueled by an unsustainable .382 batting average on balls in play against.

Despite his numbers, McFarland is the type of pitcher teams covet at the trade deadline. He has a lifetime 60.9% groundball rate and has generated grounders at a 59.6% rate this season. McFarland is also left-handed, adding to his potential value at the trade deadline.

Relief pitcher Sean Newcomb

Newcomb is in the midst of his second stint with the A's, having spent two injury-plagued seasons with the franchise in 2023 and 2024. He is also on his second team of the season, as he was acquired from the Red Sox for cash considerations.

Another lefty, Newcomb has been solid since returning to the A's. He has posted a 3.14 ERA and a 1.395 WHiP in his 14.1 innings in Sacramento, striking out 11 batters with five walks. He has limited hard contact, with opponents posting a 28.3% hard-hit rate, while generating ground balls at a 45.7% clip. Newcomb may not be a flashy addition at the trade deadline, but he could find himself on a new team come the July 31 trade deadline.