CHRIS RESOP TO OAKLAND
The Oakland Athletics acquired pitcher Chris Resop from the Pittsburgh Pirates for pitcher Zach Thornton.
What does it give the Oakland Athletics
Resop is a quality setup man, so the A's did well to shore up another key spot in their bullpen. {P Grant Balfour}, {P Sean Doolittle} and {P Ryan Cook} were serviceable last season in the late innings, but adding another arm with experience was a good move by Oakland GM Billy Beane.
What does it give the Pittsburgh Pirates
Thornton notched 16 saves with high single-A Stockton in 2012, so he has some upside as a late-inning reliever. He'll likely climb the ladder quickly within the Pirates system and could even reach the big leagues by late 2013. However, Resop's departure leaves a big hole in the current bullpen.
Fantasy impact
Resop has a better opportunity for saves in Oakland, where Balfour is a little shakier as closer than the Pirates' {P Joel Hanrahan}. Therefore, Resop's fantasy value should be greater in the American League, though his overall impact won't be great unless he becomes Oakland's closer. Thornton is a name to file away as a future closer candidate in Pittsburgh, but not for a little while.
