The Milwaukee Brewers continued their offseason makeover Friday, dealing starting left fielder Khris Davis to Oakland for a pair of prospects.
The Brewers received catcher Jacob Nottingham and right-handed pitcher Bubba Derby from the A's.
Nottingham, who was acquired by the A's from the Astros in the Scott Kazmir trade this past season, was ranked the No. 8 prospect in Oakland's system by MLB.com. Neither Nottingham nor Derby was ranked in Baseball America's top-10 prospects.
"In Jacob Nottingham, we are acquiring one of the premier catching prospects in baseball," Brewers general manager David Stearns said in a release. "Jacob has an advanced feel for hitting and has demonstrated consistent power throughout his minor-league career."
The acquisition of Nottingham could help open the door to a trade of Jonathan Lucroy. Milwaukee had no catching prospects in its system to take over if Lucroy is dealt.
Nottingham won't be major-league ready in 2016, however. A sixth-round draft pick of Houston in 2013, he turns 21 in April and has never played above Single-A. Nottingham has shown prodigious power thus far in his brief minor-league career. He belted 17 home runs combined last year with three teams, finishing with a .316 batting average, .372 on-base percentage and .505 slugging percentage.
He has been invited to spring training as a non-roster invitee
Derby had a 1.21 ERA and 0.911 WHIP combined in rookie ball and Class-A in 2015, his first season as a professional. Derby, who turns 22 on Feb. 24, was Oakland's sixth-round pick in the 2015 draft.
Davis emerged as Milwaukee's starting left fielder the past two seasons. He hit a combined 49 homers in that span. In three seasons with the Brewers, Davis had a slash line of 250/314/494.
Domingo Santana, who was ill-fitted for center field, is expected to take over for Davis in left.
