Athletics trade Coghlan to Cubs for Alcantara

Following a brief stop in the Bay Area, veteran outfielder Chris Coghlan is heading back to the Windy City.

The Oakland Athletics traded Coghlan to the Chicago Cubs on Thursday in exchange for infielder Arismendy Alcantara, reuniting him with his former club.

The 30-year-old spent the past two seasons with the Cubs but an overcrowded outfield forced them to trade Coghlan to Oakland in February in exchange for right-hander Aaron Brooks.

After hitting .265/.346/.447 with 25 home runs, and 53 doubles across 273 games with Chicago, Coghlan struggled this season in Oakland, hitting .146/.215/.272 with five homers and 47 strikeouts in 51 games.

Injuries to Kyle Schwarber and Jorge Soler have opened the door for Coghlan's return, where he'll likely serve as the team's fourth outfielder.

Alcantara owns 81 games of experience at the major-league level but failed to crack the Cubs roster this season. The 24-year-old will report to Triple-A where he's hitting .264/.315/.437 with five home runs, nine doubles, and 21 stolen bases in 53 games.