The Oakland Athletics have the worst record in the American League, and they are not happy about it. Last week, the A's dumped Trevor Plouffe to make room for prospect Matt Chapman. On Thursday, the A's again swapped an underperforming veteran for a youngster -- this time, however, the exiled was Stephen Vogt, who had made each of the last two All-Star Games.

Vogt, 33 in November, departs having hit .217/.287/.357 to begin 2017. Truthfully, his struggles started right around last July's All-Star Break, after which he batted .222/.287/.365. Add up those segments, and Vogt has been an ineffectual hitter over his last, oh, 400 or so plate appearances.

Vogt was always working with a thin margin of error. In addition to being older than many realize, he's a defensive negative. While he's been a catcher throughout his career, he's not particularly skilled behind the plate, nor is he athletic enough to slot in as a corner outfielder. Add in how Vogt has average-at-best power, and his downfall isn't as surprising as it seems.

All the same, expect another team -- perhaps the Chicago Cubs, now that they have an opening? --  to trade for or claim Vogt off waivers. It's not often that players coming off two consecutive All-Star Game nods get DFA like this -- especially not when they come with pristine clubhouse reputations. Is Vogt likely to return to his old form? No, but maybe he can extend his career elsewhere as a professional pinch-hitter.

As for the A's, keep an eye on Matt Olson. He entered the season ranked 15th in the system due to his well-above-average raw power. Whether Olson's swing-and-miss tendencies will allow him to tap into that pop consistently against big-league pitching is the question. The A's have all the time in the season to let him answer.