A’s trade Jemile Weeks for Orioles closer Jim Johnson

Earlier in the day, the A’s signed starter Scott Kazmir to a two-year deal worth $22 million, and this evening, the team completed a trade that sent onetime starting second baseman Jemile Weeks and a player to be named to Baltimore for Jim Johnson, who has led the majors in saves in each of the past two seasons.

Both moves hammer home the fact that the A’s won’t be bringing back their own free-agent All-Stars, starter Bartolo Colon and closer Grant Balfour.

Johnson, who saved 50 games last season  and 51 the previous year, is arbitration-eligible and the 30-year-old is expected to earn $10 million plus in 2014. The 2012 All-Star will be a free agent after the season.

Weeks, 24, had a standout rookie year in 2011, batting .303 with 26 doubles, 36 RBIs and 22 steals in 97 games but he never regained that form the following season, was sent down late in 2012 and he did not appear to be in the A’s plans thereafter. He was the team’s first-round pick in the 2008 draft.

The player to be named will not come off the A’s 40-man roster.


(sfgate.com)