A’s bolster bullpen, add shortstop prospect in trade for Healy

Ryon Healy, who was among the top offensive weapons for the Athletics in 2017, has been traded to the Seattle Mariners, Oakland announced Tuesday.

Healy, 25, finished his first full MLB season second on the A’s in hits (156), homes runs (tied with Matt Joyce, 25), RBIs (78) and batting average (.271). His below-average defense, at positions home to two of the organization’s top defenders no less, relegated the second-year slugger to the designated hitter position, evidently making him dispensable.

Oakland has parted ways with the young rising start who opened the gates to its current youth movement, sending him to the divisional rival Mariners in exchange for a right-handed pitcher coming off of a successful rookie campaign and a 17-year-old prospect.

Reliever Emilio Pagan, 26, made his major league debut on May 3, allowing three earned runs getting just one out. He gave up two more earned runs in 2-1/3 innings of work two days later but locked in from there, surrendering 13 earned runs over his next 47-2/3 innings pitched (2.45 ERA) to finish his rookie season with a 3.22 ERA and 2-3 won-loss record to go with eight holds.

The A’s also seized control of shortstop Alexander Campos. The 17-year-old Venezuelan is coming off his first year of professional baseball, in which he batted .290 with a .413 on-base percentage and .367 slugging percentage in 59 games with Seattle’s Dominican Summer League affiliate.

Healy was called up fresh out of the 2016 All-Star, and never gave the club a chance to send him back down. In 211 games, the Southern California native Healy mashed 38 homers and drove in 115 runs, all the while batting a healthy .282.

It is unclear where the now former-Athletic will fit into the Mariner lineup, which already boasts All-Stars Nelson Cruz and Kyle Seager at DH and third base respectively, along with the franchise’s No. 4 overall prospect Daniel Vogelbach penciled in at first.

Kalama Hines is SFBay’s sports director and Oakland Athletics beat writer. Follow @SFBay and @HineSight_2020 on Twitter and at SFBay.ca for full coverage of A’s baseball.