The Oakland Athletics made a somewhat surprising move on Saturday regarding a player who had previously been a standout for the organization.
The A’s designated outfielder Ramon Laureano for assignment, according to multiple reports. The unexpected move essentially ends his career with the organization.
Outfielder Ramón Laureano has been designated for assignment by the Oakland A’s.
— Robert Murray (@ByRobertMurray) August 5, 2023
It was not long ago that Laureano was regarded as perhaps Oakland’s best player. In 2019, he looked like a rising star, hitting .288 with 24 home runs in 123 games while playing very good outfield defense. Things really started to go downhill for him when he received an 80-game PED suspension in 2021. This season, he is hitting just .213 with six home runs in 64 games.
Laureano should land elsewhere, as he remains solid enough defensively and has been a better hitter against lefties. Still, for a player who looked like a building block as recently as four years ago, this is a very rapid fall.
