A’s Acquire Cubs' Blake Lalli for Anthony Recker in Swap of Minor League Catchers
OAKLAND, Calif. – The Oakland Athletics have acquired Blake Lalli from the Chicago Cubs in exchange for Anthony Recker in a swap of minor league catchers, the club announced today. Recker, 28, was designated for assignment by the A’s Aug. 20.
Lalli, 29, was hitting .259 (78-for-301) with 20 doubles, seven home runs and 40 RBI in 93 games with the Triple-A Iowa Cubs. The left-handed hitting catcher saw his first major league action with Chicago earlier this season, batting .133 (2-for-15) with two RBI in six games. He was signed by the Cubs as a non-drafted free agent in May 2006 after attending Gardner-Webb University.
Recker, an 18th-round pick by the A’s in the 2005 draft, has played briefly with Oakland the past two seasons. He batted .129 (4-for-31) with one double, four walks and 13 strikeouts in 13 games with the A’s this year, while the 28-year-old catcher hit .176 (3-for-17) with one double, four walks and seven strikeouts in five games. The 6-2, 245-pound Recker was hitting .265 (53-for-200) with seven doubles, nine home runs and 29 RBI in 52 games with Triple-A Sacramento this season.