The Detroit Tigers have been less than content with the production they've gotten out of second base. The Oakland Athletics have been less than content with the production they've gotten out of second base. I think it's with the principle that 'one man's trash is another man's treasure' in mind that the following trade has been made:
Scott Sizemore Traded From Tigers To A’s For David Purcey
The Tigers have acquired left-hander David Purcey from the Athletics for second baseman Scott Sizemore, the teams announced.
Sizemore is an interesting guy. The 26-year-old infielder has a career .880 OPS in AAA with a high average and good power. In the majors, though, he hasn't been able to produce, and he really struggled this year in a starting stint with Detroit. The Tigers grew sour, and the A's saw an opportunity to bring in some depth and competition behind second baseman Mark Ellis, who's had a rough go of it in 2011 himself.
Meanwhile, Purcey is a 29-year-old lefty reliever who leans on his fastball and slider. He was just acquired by Oakland from Toronto in April, and for his career he has a 5.17 ERA and a 1.17 strikeout-to-walk ratio. However, a quote from Tigers GM Dave Dombrowski:
We’ve tried to get David Purcey for a long time.
There’s something about Purcey that made the Tigers willing to sacrifice a disappointing but (still) interesting second baseman. Since there’s nothing outstanding about his numbers, there must be something else the scouts are seeing.
In corresponding moves, the Tigers recalled infielder Danny Worth and the A's recalled reliever Bobby Cramer. Worth looks like the best candidate to take over at second for Detroit in Sizemore's place. Over 115 trips to the plate with the Tigers a year ago, he posted a .653 OPS. Ryan Raburn is another option.
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