A’s shortstop Allen trades with Braves for pitching prospect originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
The A’s traded their 2024 Opening Day shortstop to the Atlanta Braves for a pitching prospect on Monday.
Nick Allen He heads to the Peach State for Jared Johnson, destrorso.
A noted defensive specialist, Allen was selected 81st overall by the A’s in the 2017 MLB Draft After rising through the A’s minor league ranks, Allen debuted with the major league club in April 2022, where he had trouble sticking stopped due to the blows. problems.
The 26-year-old hit just .175/.216/.247 with 17 hits in 41 starts during the 2024 MLB season and has a career .254 on-base percentage to show for three years of at-bats, or 760 plate appearances. Allen also had a promising .431 OBP in 81 games with Triple-A. Las Vegas Airmen in 2024, but failed to translate his success to the MLB.
The move makes sense for the A’s, considering top prospect Jacob Wilson appears to be their shortstop of the future. Apparently getting a prospect in exchange for Allen was a plus, as the A’s only other option to get rid of him was via waivers.
Johnson, meanwhile, is an enticing prospect West Sacramento’s new baseball team.
Atlanta selected the 23-year-old 427th overall in the 2019 draft. Johnson spent the entire 2024 season in High-A Rome and was Atlanta’s No. 20 overall pick, according to FanGraphs. Strictly out of the bullpen, Johnson had a serviceable 2.60 ERA with 61 strikeouts in 52 innings, while also posting a 1.31 WHIP and 2.06 ground balls/air.
Johnson will likely begin the 2025 season in High-A, this time with the A’s Lansing Lugnuts, before the club decides what to do with him. As for Allen, he would be lucky to call Truist Park home and will likely start with the Braves’ Triple-A Stripers in Gwinnett County, Georgia.
Perhaps the trade will be the first of many for the A’s. In early November, president of baseball operations David Forst said as much The A’s would prioritize trades on free will.
