It's not hate, it's disagreement. I think Justin Crawford could be an upgrade over Denzel Clarke, because Clarke has a lot to prove with his bat. Speed wise it's a push but Clarke has a big edge defensively, although I believe Crawford has the tools to close the gap. Does the potential advantage Crawford offers over Clarke justify parting with Soderstrom? I don't believe it does, so we look at the rest of the package. And the next best piece is a pitcher who won't pitch again until late in the 2026 season.

So the A's are trading Soderstrom and someone else off the big league club in an effort to fit Crawford into the line-up? If Justin Crawford is that good why isn't he with the Phillies right now? Now, you're right, an injured player can be traded. The A's aren't contending this year (although they'd like to be competitive this year and next, before moving to Las Vegas) and it's OK if they trade big league players for talent that isn't ready right now. The A's had that very mindset when they traded Matt Chapman to Toronto in March, 2022 for a return headlined by SP Gunnar Hoglund... who just happened to be rehabbing from TJS. Except Hoglund was 10 months into his rehab and was expected to be pitching again by mid-summer. The A's figured he could throw some innings at the end of 2022 and use 2023 to build up his inning limit, giving him a chance to compete for a rotation gig in 2024. He made it back onto the mound 7/23/22 and was shut down after 8/6/22; not exactly the performance the team had hoped for. 2023 rolled around and Hoglund had arm issues, missing most of the first two months of the minor league season and being on a strict pitch count for the rest of the season. Back to Moises Chace. He's going to miss this year and most of next. Given a 15 month recovery he could be pitching again in August, 2026. 2027 will see him on a strict pitch count as he strives to master AA and build his arm strength. If everything goes smooth he has a chance to contribute to the Las Vegas A's in 2028! If the A's trade Mason Miller is makes sense for them to insist on players that have the potential to contribute sooner.