The Athletics have held early extension talks with outfielder Khris Davis and Marcus Semien, according to Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle.
Davis, 29, is hitting .246/.334/.526 (.840 OPS) with 27 homers, 65 RBIs and 15 doubles this season. He’s also coming off a 42 homer and 102 RBI season last year with the A’s as he has become a huge presence in the middle of their order with timely hitting and power.
As for Semien, the 26-year-old shortstop has struggled this season with injuries and at the plate. The young shortstop broke his wrist in April and just returned in early July to the Athletics’ lineup. This season, Semien boasts a dreadful .151/.300/.247 slash line with one home run, five RBIs, five doubles and four steals. Semien did hit 27 long balls in Oakland last season but has a history of being a poor defender with 35 errors and 21 errors at shortstop in 2015 and 2016.
In last place in the AL West at 43-52, Oakland’s vice president of baseball operations Billy Beane has fully committed to a rebuild in Oakland with plans for a new stadium on the way. From there, the team hopes to build a core and sign players to long term deals, and Semien and Davis could be the first two assets in their long-term rebuild.