IMAGE: Imagn Images<\/div>\n
The Oakland A\u2019s are entering the offseason with a clear focus: upgrade the infield, particularly at second and third base. And while they\u2019re casting a wide net-open to internal solutions, trades, or free agents-one name quietly sitting on the market could offer exactly what they need: Thairo Estrada.<\/p>\n
Estrada isn\u2019t the flashiest name out there, but he fits the mold of a smart, low-risk, high-upside addition-especially for a team like the A\u2019s that\u2019s always looking to stretch value. After an injury-plagued 2025 season, there\u2019s a chance Estrada could be had on a minor-league deal or at a very modest cost. That\u2019s the kind of opportunity Oakland has historically thrived on.<\/p>\n
Let\u2019s start with the bat. Estrada owns a career .251 average with a .299 OBP-not numbers that leap off the page, but there\u2019s more under the hood.<\/p>\n
His strikeout rate this past season was just 15.8% over 39 games, and he\u2019s shown measurable improvement in bat speed over the last few years. From sitting in the 25th percentile, he\u2019s climbed to around league average-a sign that there\u2019s still some offensive upside waiting to be unlocked.<\/p>\n
He\u2019s trimmed his strikeouts, and if that trend continues, he could offer more than just a glove-first presence.<\/p>\n
But let\u2019s talk about that glove, because this is where Estrada really shines.<\/p>\n
Despite dealing with a trio of injuries in 2025-a fractured right wrist, a sprained left thumb, and a right hamstring strain-Estrada still managed to log time at second base, though not at his usual defensive standard. His -1 Outs Above Average (OAA) this past season is a dip, sure, but context matters. When healthy, he\u2019s been one of the best defensive second basemen in the game.<\/p>\n
In 2024, he posted a +9 OAA in 812 innings at second base. The year before?<\/p>\n
A +20 OAA over 857 innings. That\u2019s elite territory.<\/p>\n
Over the past three seasons, even with the time missed in 2025, Estrada ranks fourth among all second basemen in OAA. That kind of defensive consistency is hard to find, and it\u2019s exactly what the A\u2019s could use in the middle infield.<\/p>\n
With Zack Gelof recovering from injury but expected back at some point next season, Estrada could serve as either a reliable stopgap or a complementary piece, depending on how things shake out. He wouldn\u2019t tie up payroll flexibility, and he\u2019d provide immediate value with the glove-plus the potential for more with the bat if his offensive improvements continue.<\/p>\n
The A\u2019s second base situation is a bit of a puzzle right now. Top prospect Leo De Vries is likely to start the season in Triple-A Las Vegas, but after tearing through Double-A, a midseason call-up seems very much on the table.<\/p>\n
When that time comes, the A\u2019s will have to make a decision: is De Vries the long-term shortstop or second baseman? And how does Jacob Wilson fit into that equation?<\/p>\n
One of them likely shifts to third base, but those are questions for later.<\/p>\n
Right now, the A\u2019s need a steady hand to hold down second base-someone who can defend at a high level, make contact, and keep the team competitive while the younger pieces develop. Thairo Estrada checks a lot of those boxes.<\/p>\n
He\u2019s not a long-term cornerstone, but he doesn\u2019t need to be. He\u2019s a bridge, a stabilizer, and maybe even a spark if the bat continues trending in the right direction.<\/p>\n
For a team that thrives on finding value in overlooked places, Estrada is exactly the kind of player the A\u2019s should be eyeing this winter.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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