The Oakland Athletics are preparing for a fire sale at the MLB trade deadline. After having dumped off the majority of their talent during the offseason, the Athletics, as expected, are among the bottomfeeders in the league this year. With the playoffs out of the picture, the A's could look to expedite their rebuild by trading some key pieces at the deadline in exchange for some solid prospects.

The state of the A's roster is, to put it bluntly, incredibly bleak. The farm system isn't nearly as loaded as they'd like considering the amount of talent they've traded away in recent seasons, and they still seem multiple years away from wrapping up this rebuild. Despite that, they can make some serious strides in fortifying their farm system at the deadline, and have various players that could draw significant interest from contending teams.

With Oakland tanking and preparing for the future, there are a number of veteran players likely expecting to be shipped away. Anything less than a fire sale from the A's would be a significant surprise. With that in mind, here are three players the Athletics must trade at the 2022 MLB trade deadline.

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3 Players Athletics Must Trade At 2022 MLB Trade Deadline

3. Seth Brown

Seth Brown isn't a world-beater by any means, but he's a solid power threat at the plate and there are plenty of teams who will be in the market for a left-handed bat. The 29-year-old, who turns 30 in mid-July, has hit 10 home runs this season and driven in 36 runs. He's slashing .217/.278/.418 through 76 games this year, but it stands to reason that a change of scenery could be just what he needs to get in the groove at the plate.

After hitting 20 home runs in 111 games last year, Brown proved his power is no joke. While he won't command a huge prospect haul on the trade market, he doesn't fit into Oakland's timeline, so he's the perfect candidate for teams in need of a power bat from the left side at the deadline.

2. Ramon Laureano

Ramon Laureano is still just 27, but with the way things are going in Oakland, he may be looking at the exit door before long. An excellent defender with a cannon for an arm, there are few outfielders in baseball who are more reliably than Laureano. While he leaves a bit to be desired offensively, he's a solid base-stealing threat and is only a few years removed from a 24-home run season.

This season, Laureano is slashing .246/.330/.393 with 5 home runs, 14 RBI, and 8 stolen bases. He's been his usual sound self on defense, with baserunners given a stern red light when it comes to running on him. His age could increase his trade value, as he still has two years under team control, meaning he's more than just a rental option for teams. If the A's get a decent offer on Laureano, they should not hesitate to cut ties in order to speed up their rebuild and restore faith from the fanbase.

1. Frankie Montas

This is the obvious choice. Frankie Montas has been linked with a move away from Oakland since the moment it became apparent the team was going to rebuild. Keeping Montas in Oakland is like changing the portraits on the Titanic — completely pointless. The Athletics are a sinking ship, and there's no reason for Montas to go down with the franchise.

Montas, 29, has been one of the lone bright spots in Oakland this season. Despite a 3-9 record, Montas has registered a 3.29 ERA and has 100 strikeouts across 96.2 innings. There's arguably no more valuable trade piece available on the market this season, and the A's should absolutely move him at the deadline, for whatever the best-possible package of prospects they can receive is.

There won't be a single contending team that doesn't check in on Montas, as he'd be a valuable top-end rotation member on any team in baseball. He's the ultimate trade deadline prize, and this deal will be crucial towards kickstarting Oakland's rebuild.