OAKLAND -- When the A's acquired center fielder Chris Young from Arizona on Saturday it caught a lot of people off guard. The guy most surprised by the move might have been former A's infielder Cliff Pennington.Pennington had been with the Oakland A's organization since he was drafted in the first round in 2005 out of Texas A&M. He has seen a lot of players come and go through the turnstile that is the A's clubhouse, but he didn't expect to be moved just yet. Pennington joined 'The Rise Guys' on 95.7 The Game on Wednesday morning and spoke about his trade to the Diamondbacks.You kind of joke around with guys like, 'Oh, well see whos back next year', especially when youre in Oakland.
"This is the one year I thought at least until they decide what theyre going to do with Stephen Drew Im probably going to stay pat unless they decide to bring him back then theyll try and do something. To make something this quick was definitely a surprise.LISTEN: Cliff Pennington talks about his trade to Arizona
When the season ended, Pennington appeared to be the front runner to win the second base job in 2013. He made the move from shortstop to second base look effortless. His defense at second was solid, his strong arm was effective on double plays, and his offense picked up when he switched spots in the infield. After Stephen Drew was acquired on August 20 to play shortstop, Pennington hit .267 with three homers, and 10 RBI in his final 33 games. Prior to Drew's arrival, Pennington hit .198 with three homers and 18 RBI in 92 games. Pennington also went 4-for-14 with three walks and an RBI in the postseason. The former Athletic will be moving back to shortstop with the Diamondbacks.
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