The Oakland Athletics (A's) have acquired right-handed pitcher Brent Honeywell from the Tampa Bay Rays, according to MLB insider Jeff Passan. The terms of the deal have yet to be released, with the Rays likely to get cash, a player to be named later, and/or another minor leaguer.

Neither of these teams are new to small and seemingly innocuous trades early on in the off-season. Billy Beane crafted and perfected the “Moneyball” strategy while he was the GM in Oakland and now that he has moved up the strategy is still employed in their organization and many others in the league…like Tampa Bay.

As a low-revenue team in the MLB, that means that you are therefore a low-budget team, as well. When you can't compete with the big teams in terms of payroll, you have to constantly be churning the bottom of your roster because the top of it is always leaving in free agency or trades. Just last year when the Rays dealt away former Cy Young award-winning left-hander Blake Snell because they did not want to pay his future salaries. The same is happening in Oakland, as well, as first baseman Matt Olsen and numerous other pitchers are on the trade block as the team looks to cut their payroll once again.

With Oakland and Tampa Bay reaching the playoffs most of the time over the past few years, who can really blame their strategy? Honeywell, once the top pitching prospect in the game, is coming off of multiple injuries to his arm and other body parts but if Honeywell can pitch to even 75 percent of his potential, this will be a steal for the A's. Stay tuned at Clutch Points as more details emerge on the Rays return package.