It appears likely that some of the A's cornerstone players might be on the move this offseason.
Oakland fans are all too familiar with this cycle.
Among the possible trade candidates is third baseman Matt Chapman, who should command a strong market if he is indeed made available. One of the teams who might be interested is the New York Yankees, who ESPN's Buster Olney reported are considering targeting the third baseman as a possible answer at shortstop.
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"If I were to guess, I think they'll end up with one of the Oakland guys," Olney said on The Michael Kay Show. "Matt Chapman, for example, maybe you acquire him to be the one-year shortstop. I know he's a third baseman, he's exceptional, but if you added Matt Chapman, you would be improving your defense on the left side of the infield. And I know the Yankees have talked a little bit about this internally. Look, can Matt Chapman play shortstop? I think they wind up with one of those guys. Maybe it's (Matt) Olson and then they hold back and they pay Aaron Judge."
Both Chapman and first baseman Matt Olson had received trade interest prior to Major League Baseball's lockout on Dec. 2. In addition to Chapman, the Yankees had also expressed interest in Olson.
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A three-time Gold Glove award winner at third base, Chapman has established himself as one of the game's elite players at the hot corner. The 28-year-old has the highest total of Defensive Runs Saved (plus-78) of any third baseman in all of baseball since his debut in 2017.
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If the Yankees do eventually trade for Chapman, there is no reason to believe he wouldn't be able to make a seamless transition to shortstop. The A's on the other hand, will likely seek out a big return for their star slugger if made available.