The A’s shipped relievers Sean Doolittle and Ryan Madson to the Washington Nationals Sunday morning in a five-player deal that cost the team more than just a pair of its best bullpen arms.
The A’s acquired reliever Blake Treinen and two of the Nationals’ top 10 prospects, minor league left-hander Jesus Luzardo and minor league infielder Sheldon Neuse.
In what’s become a trend over the years in Oakland, losing the hard-throwing, socially conscious Doolittle takes away the team’s most popular player from its fan base. Doolittle joins Josh Donaldson and Yoenis Cespedes as popular former All-Stars who were traded by Oakland, which is rumored to be on the brink of trading starter Sonny Gray, another ex-All-Star.