A’s Harvest Three Righthanders From Dodgers

OAKLAND—In a time when winning has a big price tag, losing has its own reward.

The Athletics harvested the fruit of defeat at the trade deadline when they acquired three young pitchers from the Dodgers in exchange for free-agents-to-be Josh Reddick and Rich Hill. The crop consisted of righthanders Grant Holmes, Frankie Montas and Jharel Cotton.

Holmes, a 20-year-old starter, had been a big target, with special advisor Grady Fuson watching him closely. He was the Dodgers’ first-round pick in 2014 out of Conway (S.C.) High.

“Obviously, I liked him a lot,” Fuson said. “He’s very athletic, he’s young and he has a good breaking ball and a good changeup.”

Holmes’ fastball works at 92-95 mph, and Fuson sees the makings of three plus pitches.

“The curve is a plus pitch right now,” he said, though Holmes needs to develop more consistency with it. “He’s getting experience. He has a pretty good delivery, but he wants to get off line (to the plate) just a little.”

Holmes went 8-4, 4.02 in 105 innings at high Class A Rancho Cucamonga. The A’s want to keep him a starter, though some scouts think he could fit as a reliever in the future.

Montas, with his 100 mph fastball, could be the high-value gain from the deal. The A’s became his fourth organization since the 23-year-old signed with the Red Sox out of the Dominican Republic in 2009.

Most of Montas’ season had been lost to injuries. He broke a rib during spring training and had to have it removed.

The A’s do not expect Montas to pitch this season, but they hope he will pick up some innings either at the Arizona Fall League or in a Latin American winter league.

“His arm is a special talent,” general manager David Forst said. “He has the ability to have three pitches, if he can command them.”

Holmes, Montas and Cotton will begin as starters, though there may be bullpen duty in their futures. As with all deals, this one gives the A’s hope for a better future.

A’s ACORNS

• The A’s traded Billy Burns to the Royals for outfielder Brett Eibner. Fuson describes the 27-year-old as “tooled up” and perhaps on the verge of putting everything together.

• The A’s extended their player-development contract with short-season Vermont through 2018.