Oakland A's Star 1st Baseman Matt Olson Traded To Atlanta Braves

OAKLAND, CA — Matt Olson, the Oakland A's star first baseman who belted 39 home runs and knocked in 111 RBI for the team last year, was traded to the Atlanta Braves on Monday, the team said.

In exchange, the A’s will receive catcher Shea Langeliers, outfielder Cristian Pache and pitchers Ryan Cusick and Joey Estes from the Braves, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reported, citing a source.

Olson, 27, scored 101 runs and stole four bases en route to a season in which he notched 5 wins above replacement, according to Fangraphs. The Atlanta native told reporters Monday the news was "bittersweet," but called the city, which will defend its World Series title this year, an "amazing place" to play.

"If there was one place to go and leave here, that' s the place to do it," he said, "I'm excited about it."

The Braves tweeted Monday: "Welcome back home to Atlanta, @mattolson21!"

The 6-foot-5-inch, 225-pound Olson bats left-handed but throws right-handed. He was drafted in 2012 and played six seasons for the A's.

Fangraphs ranked Olson last week as the 5th best first-baseman in the league. Veteran Braves star — — and current free agent — Freddie Freeman, 32, ranked 2nd best, while Toronto Blue Jays 22-year-old superstar Vladimir Guerrero Jr. ranked No. 1.

For the A's the haul included four young prospects, one of which has experience in the Major Leagues.

Pache, a 23-year-old right-handed outfielder, played 22 games for the Braves last season and logged an underwhelming one home run, six runs and four RBI in that time. He batted .111 and a -0.7 WAR, according to Fangraphs. Scouts say he's an elite defender in center field and has the potential to hit 20 home runs and steal 20 bases on offense. Recently, he "stalled out" in the upper levels of the minor leagues.

Langeliers, 24, the ninth overall pick in the 2019 June Amateur Draft, stands 6 feet and weighs 205 pounds. The right-handed hitter logged 92 games at AA last year, slugging 22 home runs, 52 RBI and scoring 56 runs. He also played five games at AAA.

Cusick, a 22-year-old right-handed pitcher who stands 6 feet, 6 inches, tossed 16 1/3 innings last year in A ball, highlighted by a strikeout rate of 18.73 per nine innings. His repertoire includes a plus-plus fastball and plus curveball.

Estes, 20, stands 6 feet, 2 inches, and is another right-handed pitcher. Drafted in the 16th round in 2019, he logged 99 innings last year in A ball, with a record of 3-6. Estes' season was highlighted by a strikeout rate of 11.55 per nine innings.