The Athletics on Monday traded their 2024 Opening Day shortstop to the Atlanta Braves for a pitching prospect.
Nick Allen is headed to the Peach State for right-hander Jared Johnson.
Allen, a known defensive specialist, was selected No. 81 overall by the A’s in the 2017 MLB Draft. After climbing his way up the A’s minor-league ladder, Allen debuted with the big-league club in April 2022, where he struggled to stick because of hitting woes.
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The 26-year-old slashed just .175/.216/.247 with 17 hits over 41 starts during the 2024 MLB season and has a .254 career on-base percentage to show for three years’ worth of at-bats, or 760 plate appearances. Allen also held a promising .431 OBP over 81 games with the Triple-A Las Vegas Aviators in 2024 but couldn’t translate his success to MLB.
The move makes sense for the A’s, considering top prospect Jacob Wilson appears to be their shortstop of the future. Netting a prospect in return for Allen seemingly was a bonus, as the A’s only other option for shedding him was through waivers.
Johnson, meanwhile, is an enticing prospect for West Sacramento’s newest baseball team.
Atlanta selected the 23-year-old No. 427 overall in the 2019 draft. Johnson spent the entire 2024 season in High-A Rome and was Atlanta’s No. 20 overall prospect, according to FanGraphs. Strictly out of the bullpen, Johnson held a serviceable 2.60 ERA with 61 strikeouts over 52 innings, also posting 1.31 WHIP and ground-out/air-out of 2.06.
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Johnson likely will start the 2025 season in High-A ball -- this time, with the A’s Lansing Lugnuts -- before the club figures out what to do with him. As for Allen, he would be lucky to call Truist Park home and likely will start with the Braves’ Triple-A Stripers in Gwinnett County, Georgia.
Perhaps the trade is the first of many for the A's. Earlier in November, president of baseball operations David Forst said the A's would prioritize trades over free agency.