Oakland swaps Lamas, acquires Walsh

The Athletics announced Wesnesday that MiLB free agent. Colin Walsh, has been snatched from the free agent mass this week and been assigned to Midland in correspondence to Antonio Lamas having his contract puchased by a Mexican League ballclub for the remainder of the campaign. Walsh, a Stanford alumni and 13th round acquisition during the 2010 Draft proceedings, shall effectively usurp the vacancy left by Addison Russell due to the saverity of his hamstring injury now seemingly sidelining him for the entirety of April as Midland embarks upon their first roadtrip of the season following a sweep of Northwest Arkansas. Already having to contend with individuals such as Dusty Coleman and Conner Crumbliss for middle infield supremacy, Walsh immediately shall have to produce for the Rockhounds following a mediocre Texas League debut during the 2013 attempt for the second baseman, who has oddly only played three defensive games at shortstop throughout his MiLB tenure despite multiple opportunities at 1B, 3B, LF and RF. For Walsh within the Oakland organization, while practically impossible that the Californian would vault up to Sacramento and essentially shall remain housed in Texas for the whole of the 2014, he'll contend for a MiLB re-sign berth for the Athletics such as D'Arby Myers, Darwin Perez, Frank Gailey and Luke Montz were able to successfully acquire in initial Oakland affiliate performances that convinced the A's to retain and distribute them to the various MiLB squads once again. 

Walsh, the Cardinal standout, finally burst through upon his upperclassman debut with a .317/.431/.493 slash with a 41:53 BB/K (51:47 during his sophomore campaign) and 7 HRs through his ~275 PAs that significantly increased his stock amongst other collegiate draft hopeful and eventually plopped him within the 13th round to St. Louis as he was instantaneously assigned to the

Appalachian League before a rapid NYPL and Midwest League shuttle to conclude his 2010. The switch hitter went .256/.384/.370 through his welcoming 260 professional plate appearances with a 40:37 BB/K as the exquisite discipline oriented farmhand would be permanently slotted within Quad Cities to commence the following 2011 season, going .239/.360/.378 with a 15.6% BB%, 117 wRC+, and a .139 ISO through another truncated 276 PA attempt that forcibly left Walsh to attempt the Midwest League once more for his third consecutive campaign to open the 2012 calendar year. Having acclimated and become accustomed to the MWL, Walsh would obliterate opposing repetiores en route to a MWL MVP stint after a .314/.419/.530 slash, .423 wOBA, 164 wRC+, .215 ISO, and a 14.1% BB% that acquired him an AZFL opportunity and Palm Beach assignment during the corresponding 2013 campaign and then a brief stint within the Texas League upon Springfield's roster prior to his departure from the organization. Figuring to relieve Crumbliss and Coleman, the predominant starting middle infield duo, Walsh ought to amass another approximate 300 plate appearances for the Rockhounds should he remain for the entire season. 

Antonio Lamas, the highly touted acquisition from Mexicali before the 2012 campaign, has since been shipped forth south to Mexico following his Midland stint in which the diminutive second baseman went 1-6 with a pair of strikeouts with the Rockhounds:

Lamas, the Mexican League leadoff standout and Serie Del Caribe alumni, failed to acclimate against upper echelon arms and couldn't showcase his one plus tool of his hitting prowess consistently to compensate for his lackluster athleticism, range and speed and thus struggled considerably with a cumulative .255/.304/.381 slash in 558 PAs. Similarly to Crocker, Lamas' approaches indicates he his dependent upon percentages such as BABIP to steer his success, which his standard .290 post amomgst the Ports wasn't enough to salvage his stateside debut.