The A’s and Baltimore Orioles opened the offseason with a small trade, with Oakland sending their top prospect to Baltimore in exchange for cash considerations.
He started the year at Triple-A Las Vegas, where he hit .307 with six homers and a 1.001 OPS before joining the Major League roster on May 23. He played the rest of the season with the A’s, appearing in 45 of the team’s final 110 games. Across 186 plate appearances, he hit .200 with five homers, five steals, and a .587 OPS.
With limited roster spots available as the A’s prepare to protect Rule 5-eligible players, this trade with the Orioles frees up an outfield spot. Cameron was unlikely to see much playing time on the A’s with JJ Bleday and Lawrence Butler locked into center and right field, and players like Brent Rooker, Miguel Andujar, and Seth Brown in left, along with top prospect Colby Thomas, who had an outstanding year in the minors and was named the A’s Hitting Prospect of the Year by MLB Pipeline.
Cameron has spent parts of four of the last five seasons in the majors, except in 2023 when he played solely in the minors with Baltimore, batting .268 with a .346 on-base, 16 home runs, and a .798 OPS in 110 games at Triple-A Norfolk.
While the A’s could still look to upgrade in left field, they have several options in Andujar, Brown, Rooker, and Thomas. Currently, the priority is clearing roster space, and Cameron was among the players moved for this purpose. The A’s roster is now down to 36 players, which gives them flexibility to protect ranked prospects ahead of the Rule 5 Draft.
Leave a Reply