Jed Lowrie going back to Oakland headlines flurry of minor moves

(Denis Poroy/Getty Images) Just a few days before Thanksgiving the baseball hot stove is currently set to “tepid.” A flurry of moves were made Wednesday, the biggest of which involving infielder Jed Lowrie heading back to the Oakland Athletics.

The 31-year-old Lowrie was off to a hot start last season before a thumb injury halted his production. At that point, everything went downhill. Lowrie missed nearly three months due to the injury, and was replaced by standout prospect Carlos Correa at short. Upon his return, Lowrie played third base and completely stopped hitting. After hitting .300/.432/.567 over the season’s first month, he finished with a .222/.312/.400 slash line.

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With Correa now firmly entrenched as the Houston Astros starter, Lowrie became expendable and Oakland struck. At this point in his career, we know what Lowrie is as a hitter. He won’t hit for high averages, but walks at a decent clip and can provide above average pop at a weak position.

We don’t know where he’s going to play with his new … or former … club. Marcus Semien turned out to be a decent up-the-middle hitter, but he was atrocious defensively. It’s possible the A’s will shift him to a new spot while Lowrie is used primarily as a shortstop. It’s also possible Lowrie moves all around the diamond, though he doesn’t prefer to be in that type of role.

In return, the Astros will receive 23-year-old pitcher Brendan McCurry. As a reliever, McCurry posted strong numbers of two levels last season. In 63 innings, McCurry put up a 1.87 ERA with 82 strikeouts. He finished the season in Double-A. It’s unclear whether the Astros plan on McCurry being a member of their bullpen as early as 2016, but he should have a chance to compete for a role on the club in spring training.

In other news …

CHICAGO WHITE SOX SIGN ALEX AVILA TO A ONE-YEAR, $2.5 MILLION DEAL
The White Sox were the latest team to get in on the catching craze, inking former Detroit Tiger Alex Avila to a one-year deal. Avila was an All-Star back in 2011, but his skills have eroded in recent years and he’s dealt with a number of concussions. He’ll remain behind the plate for Chicago, and could see a fair amount of time if he’s able to beat out Tyler Flowers for the starting job. Avila hit just .191/.336/.287 last season, so his position battle with Flowers next spring might be underwhelming.

[Elsewhere: David Price jokingly says he’s going to play in Japan]

PITTSBURGH PIRATES ACQUIRE PITCHER ALLEN WEBSTER FROM ARIZONA FOR CASH
Once upon a time, Allen Webster was an intriguing prospect with the Los Angeles Dodgers and Boston Red Sox. He was listed on the Baseball America top-100 list three different times, peaking at 49 in 2013. Since then, things haven’t gone well. Webster reached the majors, but his stuff has yet to translate. Over the past three seasons, he’s posted a 6.13 ERA over 120 1/3 innings. That led to him being designated for assignment last week. The upside here is that Webster will now be able to work with pitching guru Ray Searage. Searage has turned a number of guys around in recent seasons, so Webster is his latest project. It’s a long shot, but at least Webster has a strong pedigree.

BALTIMORE ORIOLES ACQUIRE L.J. HOES FROM HOUSTON ASTROS
Like Lowrie, Hoes also returns to his former club. The 25-year-old outfielder has hit .237/.289/.328 over 337 career plate appearances in the majors. If he makes the major-league club, he’ll likely be a fourth of fifth outfielder. The Astros received cash in the deal.

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