Lowrie may have to shift to second base if he wants regular playing time.
Jed Lowrie is headed to Oakland after a single season in Houston.
The Oakland Athletics added a potential starting infielder Monday, acquiring Jed Lowrie from the Houston Astros in a five-player trade.
Lowrie and righthander Fernando Rodriguez head to Oakland in exchange for first baseman Chris Carter, righthander Brad Peacock and minor league catcher Max Stassi. The teams announced the deal Monday evening.
Lowrie, 28, was the Astros' primary shortstop last season after being acquired from the Boston Red Sox, but may need to switch to second or third base in Oakland if he earns an everyday job. The A's signed Japan league veteran Hiroyuki Nakajima to be their shortstop.
A’s manager Bob Melvin said last week that second base was open, with Jemile Weeks and Scott Sizemore as the main candidates. Josh Donaldson is the incumbent at third base.
The switch-hitting Lowrie will add pop to Oakland’s infield. He slugged a career-high 16 home runs and drove in 42 runs in 97 games in an injury-marred 2012 season. His averages were low, though; he batted .244 and compiled a .769 OPS. He is a career .250 hitter.
Lowrie missed two weeks at the start of last season with a sprained thumb, then missed two months late in the season after spraining an ankle.
Rodriguez, 28, appeared in 71 games out of the Astros' bullpen last season, compiling a 5.37 ERA in 70 1/3 innings.
Houston, now a division mate of the A's in the AL West, receives a journeyman slugger and two prospects in the deal.
Carter, 28, is a low-contact power threat who got his first crack at regular playing time last season. He hit 16 homers in 218 at-bats with Oakland but struck out 83 times. He shared first base with Brandon Moss.
Peacock, 25, was acquired by Oakland in December 2011 as part of the trade that sent lefthander Gio Gonzalez to the Washington Nationals. He spent last season at Class AAA Sacramento, registering a 6.01 ERA in 134 2/3 innings.
Stassi, 21, was the A's fourth-round pick in the 2009 draft. He played at High Class A Stockton in 2012, batting .268/.331/.468 with 15 home runs in 360 plate appearances.