The Braves added infield depth on Monday night, acquiring shortstop Nick Allen from the Athletics. Atlanta sent minor league reliever Jared Johnson back in a one-for-one swap. The acquisition pushes Atlanta’s 40-man roster count to 38.
Allen has exhausted his option seasons, which likely motivated this move. Going forward, he needs to either be on an active roster or else removed from the 40-man entirely. All teams are going to be soon facing roster crunches, as the Rule 5 protection deadline is just over a week away.
As a prospect, Allen got plenty of attention for his glovework. The question was whether or not he would hit. He certainly hasn’t produced with the bat at the major league level thus far, as he currently sports a line of .209/.254/.283 in his 760 plate appearances. He has received strong reviews for his shortstop defense, also spending some time at second and third base, but that offensive production translates to a wRC+ of just 53.
The results in the minors have been far more encouraging. Over the past two years, Allen has stepped to the plate 541 times at the Triple-A level, turning in a .341/.428/.503 batting line. The former third-round pick doesn’t need to hit much to be a viable utility option given the strength of his glove. His Triple-A numbers are surely inflated by the hitter-friendly nature of the Pacific Coast League, but they offer hope that there’s a little more potential with the bat than he’s shown in the majors.
Allen has bottom-of-the-scale power. Even his big production in the minors has come with just 12 home runs in nearly 200 games. He has solid bat-to-ball skills, making contact at a higher than average rate in both Triple-A and the majors. Allen walked more often than he struck out this year in Triple-A. The Braves have acquired similar players, Nicky Lopez and David Fletcher, in recent seasons. Neither spent much time on the MLB roster.
The 26-year-old Allen could have a better opportunity to stick around. Orlando Arcia had a dreadful offensive year in his own right, hitting .218/.271/.354 across 602 plate appearances. That’s still better than what Allen has shown in his major league career, but Arcia’s hold on the position probably isn’t strong. Atlanta should remain in the market for clearer upgrades.
From an A’s perspective, they’re moving on from a player who once ranked among the better position player talents in the system. That’s disappointing but not surprising given Allen’s lackluster production to date. They’re hopeful that Jacob Wilson is the long-term answer at shortstop, while Darell Hernaiz had also surpassed Allen on the infield depth chart.
Johnson, 23, spent this past season in High-A. He had a nice year in the later innings, turning in a 2.60 ERA across 52 frames. The former 14th-round pick fanned 26.4% of opponents but walked nearly 12% of batters faced. He’s a lottery ticket bullpen piece who will be eligible for the Rule 5 draft unless the A’s add him to their 40-man roster next week.
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