CLEVELAND — The A’s wound up swinging their first trade leading up to Monday’s deadline, but it didn’t involve any of the expected parties.
Billy Burns was shipped to Kansas City in exchange for fellow outfielder Brett Eibner, who will report to Triple-A Nashville.
What a turn Burns’ career with Oakland took since the start of spring training. Coming off an impressive 2015 season in which he led American League rookies with 153 hits, he lost time in center field to Coco Crisp in the first half of this season and hit just .234 with no homers and 12 RBI in 73 games, eventually getting demoted to the minors following the All-Star break.