House That Hank Built
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Atlanta Braves and Oakland: is there a deal for an outfielder possible?

By Fred Owens

OAKLAND, CA - SEPTEMBER 22: Stephen Piscotty #25 of the Oakland Athletics hits a double against the Minnesota Twins during the ninth inning at the Oakland Coliseum on September 22, 2018 in Oakland, California. The Oakland Athletics defeated the Minnesota Twins 3-2. (Photo by Jason O. Watson/Getty Images)
OAKLAND, CA - SEPTEMBER 22: Stephen Piscotty #25 of the Oakland Athletics hits a double against the Minnesota Twins during the ninth inning at the Oakland Coliseum on September 22, 2018 in Oakland, California. The Oakland Athletics defeated the Minnesota Twins 3-2. (Photo by Jason O. Watson/Getty Images) /
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NEED A PROGRAM TO TELL THE PLAYERS?  CHICAGO, IL: A vendor sells programs before Game Three of the 2016 World Series between the Chicago Cubs and the Cleveland Indians at Wrigley Field on October 28, 2016 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
NEED A PROGRAM TO TELL THE PLAYERS?  CHICAGO, IL: A vendor sells programs before Game Three of the 2016 World Series between the Chicago Cubs and the Cleveland Indians at Wrigley Field on October 28, 2016 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images) /

Ramon Laureano

The  Astros drafted Laureano in the 16th round of the 2014 Rule 4 draft. After a slow start in rookie and low A ball, the 21-year-old Dominican from Miami lit up A+ ball in 2016 posting a .317/.426/.519/.945 line in 80 games.

That earned him a move to AA Corpus Christi where he continued to mash, hitting to a .323/.432/.548/.981 line in 124 AB over 33 games.

Then 2017 happened. In 123 games his line crashed to .225/.296/.367/.663, and he fell from being #13 on the Astros’ prospect list to #29.

Houston’s system featured a plethora of outfielders, and rather than take a chance that those numbers were the real Laureano, they traded him to Oakland for an A+ ball arm.  Given the opportunity to make that decision again, they probably wouldn’t make that trade.

The 2018 season

Laureano started 2018 with a broken finger but returned to hit .297/.380/.524/.905 with 14 homers,12 doubles, striking out 70 times and walking 31 in 284 PA.  That earned him a trip to Oakland.

Once he put on the green and gold, he was there to stay. In 176 PA he hit to a .288/.358/.474/.832 line with five homers, 12 doubles and stole seven bases in eight attempts. Those numbers were good enough for 2.1 fWAR, a .357 wOBA and 129 wRC+.

Laureano played mostly right field in the minors, showing off a plus arm to notch 16 assists. That arm, his speed, and a bat that profiles at 10–15 homers profiles as a center fielder in major league play.

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