Oakland continues to try to maintain its contender status for 2015, despite the loss of two major rotation pieces, adding an entire middle infield in one shot by acquiring Ben Zobrist and Yunel Escobar from Tampa Bay for John Jaso and minor leaguers Daniel Robertson and Boog Powell. The Rays get younger and cheaper, likely acquiring their second baseman of the future in Robertson, and they avoid losing Zobrist as a free agent after 2015.

The A's had no capable everyday middle infielders on their roster for 2015, and in one fell swoop, they add two of them -- a net gain of five or six wins for the major league team with even a conservative forecast.