Kyle Blanks hasn’t gotten much playing time since being called up from Triple-A by the Padres last week and now Joe Stiglich of CSNBayArea.com reports that the A’s “have shown interest in trading for” the 27-year-old outfielder/first baseman.
Blanks was once a top prospect, but injuries have repeatedly derailed his career and now he’s a lifetime .228 hitter in 806 plate appearances. He does, however, have 28 homers and 71 walks in that action for a .712 OPS that’s pretty decent for someone calling Petco Park home, and if given a chance in a part-time role the right-handed hitting Blanks could certainly knock around left-handed pitching. And no one loves platooning more than the A’s.
Blanks is 6-foot-6 and 265 pounds, and as a minor leaguer he put up some huge numbers while ranking among Baseball America‘s top 100 prospects. In 141 total games at Triple-A he’s hit .295 with 33 homers and a .962 OPS.
