If you thought when the Oakland A’s signed veteran infielder Nick Punto to a one-year deal that it would open the door for them to trade shortstop Jed Lowrie, think again.
According to Joel Sherman of the New York Post, Lowrie, who was atop the Mets’ wish list of potentially available shortstops, is staying put and not going anywhere.
A’s assistant GM David Forst said in an email Wednesday: “Punto’s signing has nothing to do with Jed Lowrie. Jed is our starting shortstop.”
That echoed what GM Billy Beane told The Post the previous day, that “there is no such thing as a definitive ‘no’ in Oakland,” but that the A’s feel they can win the AL West for a third straight year in 2014 and have no plans to move pieces, such as Lowrie, vital to that effort.
Lowrie, 29, had his best season in 2013 batting .290/.344/.446 in 662 plate appearances for the A’s, and he is a free agent after the 2014 season.
He would have made a nice backup plan should the Mets’ attempts to sign Jhonny Peralta or Stephen Drew failed.
