For the record, in no way shape or form do I think the Yankees will pull this off. That being said, Olson is one hell of a player that fills so many of this team’s gaps and is worth whatever prospect capital the A’s want. At 27, he’s younger than any option we currently have at the position. He’s in arbitration until he’s 30. He’s one of the league’s premier defensive first basemen.
Matt Olson checks every box that a high-dollar, splashy, big-market team should want. Which begs the question, why would the A’s trade him?
Well, it’s not totally unprecedented.