The MLB hot stove is beginning to heat up in Oakland.
The A's traded second baseman/left fielder Jurickson Profar to the Padres on Monday for catcher Austin Allen and a player to be named later.
Stay in the game with the latest updates on your beloved Bay Area and California sports teams! Sign up here for our All Access Daily newsletter.
MLB Insider Robert Murray first reported the Profar news while ESPN's Jeff Passan was first to have Allen going to Oakland.
Allen, 25, made his major league debut last season. He hit .215 in 34 games at the big league level, but crushed the ball in Triple-A where he had a .330 batting average and 21 homers.
Profar, 26, played in 139 games last season for the A's. Although he belted 20 homers, he hit just .218 with a .711 OPS.
He also struggled defensively, collecting 13 errors at second base and was worth -10 defensive runs saved in the infield. The veteran is versatile, however, and had eight outfield assists in seven games last season without committing an error.
Oakland Athletics
Sending the former No. 1 overall prospect to San Diego creates an interesting competition at second base next season for the A's.
Oakland could give 27-year-old utility man Chad Pinder more playing time there right away. Pinder played every position last season outside of catcher and pitcher, and appeared in 21 games at second base. The fourth-year pro hit 13 homers, but had a lowly .706 OPS.
[RELATED: A's No. 4 prospect Mateo could be valuable trade chip]
The A's also have several younger options in former top prospect Franklin Barreto (23), Jorge Mateo (24) and Sheldon Neuse (24). All three of those players have the ability to play multiple positions as well.
Trading Profar could be the first of several significant moves from the A's this offseason.