ANAHEIM -- After parting ways with their best all-around position player and best starting pitcher this season before Monday's non-waiver Trade Deadline, the Athletics are looking to fill those holes.
The A's dealt right fielder Josh Reddick and left-handed starter Rich Hill to the Dodgers for a trio of pitching prospects, something manager Bob Melvin said shows that the organization is still looking to protect itself with prospects for the future.
"It's not a great feeling, but I put us in this position as a team," Melvin said. "The front office's job is always to balance the now and the future."
Both players were due to enter free agency this offseason, and Melvin said neither was expected to re-sign with the organization. Reddick, who had been with the club since 2012, had hit .296 and posted an OPS of .816 with eight homers and 28 RBIs in 68 games this season. Hill surpassed Sonny Gray as the team's most reliable starting pitcher, going 9-3 with a 2.25 ERA in 14 starts.
"[Josh] was a leader in the clubhouse, and for me personally, embodied the way I wanted the game played," Melvin said of Reddick, who he was particularly fond of during his time in Oakland. "Rich, this season, was the best performer in the rotation. ... It stings."
Now, the A's are forced to move forward.
Reddick's starting right field position will likely feature a platoon of Danny Valencia and Max Muncy, though Melvin called recently acquired outfielder Brett Eibner a "wild card" to earn playing time once he returns to the big leagues. Eibner, acquired over the weekend from the Royals in exchange for Billy Burns, is being given time in the Minors to acclimate. Eibner hit .231 with three homers and 10 RBIs in 26 games in the Majors this season.
Reddick was in his first season batting primarily in the three-hole against both lefties and righties, forcing Melvin to find someone new to man the middle of the order. Catcher Stephen Vogt got first crack at it in Tuesday's game against the Angels, and Melvin said he expects to have a 3-4 combo of Vogt and Khris Davis against right-handers and to feature Valencia third against lefties.
Hill's open spot in the rotation opens the door for right-hander Jesse Hahn, who will start in Thursday's series finale against the Angels.
Worth noting
• The A's made three roster moves before Tuesday's game, recalling infielder Tyler Ladendorf from Triple-A Nashville for his fourth big league stint this season and reinstating reliever Andrew Triggs from the 15-day DL. In a corresponding move, they optioned reliever J.B. Wendelken to Triple-A.
• Left-handed reliever Sean Doolittle is playing catch from 120 feet, Melvin said, and could throw off the mound in a bullpen session soon. Doolittle hasn't pitched since June 25 because of a left shoulder strain.
• Right-hander Henderson Alvarez was expected to see another doctor Tuesday to evaluate his progress from his July 2015 right shoulder surgery.
• Second baseman Eric Sogard will take some dry swings before Tuesday's game against the Angels, his first baseball activities since undergoing left knee surgery in April.