All-Star third baseman Josh Donaldson is the latest Oakland Athletics star traded away in a rebuilding effort.
General manager Billy Beane looked at the large deficit by which his Athletics lost the American League West to the Angels, then evaluated how Oakland barely held off Seattle on the season's final day for the second wild card.
He realized he needed to rebuild his roster once more, but at least initially he didn't envision the move he made Friday night: letting Donaldson go to the Toronto Blue Jays for third baseman Brett Lawrie, right-hander Kendall Graveman, left-hander Sean Nolin and minor league shortstop Franklin Barreto.