A's acquire lefty Lucas in Fujinami deal with O's

OAKLAND -- The first move of what could be an active period for the A’s ahead of the Aug. 1 Trade Deadline took place on Wednesday, when they sent right-hander Shintaro Fujinami to the Orioles in exchange for Minor League left-handed pitcher Easton Lucas.

Oakland had signed Fujinami, who spent the previous 10 season playing for the Hanshin Tigers of Nippon Professional Baseball in Japan, to a one-year deal in January. After earning a spot in the A's starting rotation out of Spring Training, Fujinami's early struggles led to him being moved to the bullpen, where the hard-throwing pitcher fared much better, particularly as of late.

Over his past 17 appearances, Fujinami posted a 3.26 ERA with 20 strikeouts in 19 1/3 innings.

TRADE DETAILS

A’s get: LHP Easton Lucas
Orioles get: RHP Shintaro Fujinami

Lucas, a California native, was a 14th-round selection by the Marlins out of Pepperdine University in the 2019 MLB Draft. The 26-year-old left-hander, who will likely report to Triple-A Las Vegas, logged a 2.93 ERA in 21 relief appearances between Double-A Bowie and Triple-A Norfolk this season, with 38 strikeouts in 30 2/3 innings.

With the A’s going through the second year of a rebuilding phase and continuing to turn more towards prospects and younger players for opportunities at the big league level, expect the club to keep operating in sell mode over the coming weeks.

Utility player Tony Kemp, right-hander Paul Blackburn and All-Star outfielder Brent Rooker have all been mentioned in trade rumors.