Rangers acquire A's Choice, Bostick

Michael Choice is heading home, and he's a little excited about it.

"Wow!!!! What a crazy day!" Choice Tweeted on Tuesday. "This is Awesome! Can't wait!"

Choice, a Fort Worth, Texas, native, was part of a four-player trade on Tuesday that sent Rangers outfielder Craig Gentry and right-hander Josh Lindblom to Oakland in exchange for Choice and 20-year-old second base prospect Chris Bostick.

Choice, who was ranked as the A's No. 2 prospect, will try to get back to the Majors in 2014, four years after he was selected in the first round of the 2010 Draft out of the University of Texas-Arlington. According to MLB.com, Choice is now the top candidate to be the Rangers' starting left fielder in 2014 if the team does not bring back Nelson Cruz or sign a free agent like Shin-Soo Choo or Carlos Beltran.

"It's something I've always dreamed about, playing at home," Choice told the Associated Press.

A 2013 Pacific Coast League All-Star, Choice was Oakland's organizational Player of the Year in 2011, a season after he left Texas as the school's career home run king. He hit .302 with 14 homers, 89 RBIs and a .390 on-base percentage in 132 games at Triple-A Sacramento in 2013 while also making his Major League debuting and appearing in nine games for Oakland.

"Michael is a guy we followed in his amateur days literally down the block," Rangers general manager Jon Daniels told ESPN Dallas. "He has a chance to hit and hit for power, is athletic and can play all three outfield spots."

Bostick, who was ranked as Oakland's No. 17 prospect at the time of the deal, has raised his stock in recent years since being selected in the 44th round of the 2011 Draft. A right-handed infielder, Bostick hit .282 with 14 homers, 89 RBIs, 25 stolen bases and a .354 OBP in 129 games with Class A Beloit in 2013.

It was a breakout campaign for the Rochester, N.Y., native, who hit just .251 with three homers and 29 RBIs at Class A Short-Season Vermont in 2012. He was the Midwest League's Player of the Week on June 17 after a six-game stretch that included four homers and 11 RBIs.

Gentry, valued primarily for his speed and elite outfield defense, hit .280 with 24 stolen bases for the Rangers in 2013, while Lindblom went 1-3 with a 5.46 ERA in eight appearances for Texas. At Triple-A Round Rock, the righty was 8-4 with a 3.08 ERA in 18 starts and two relief outings.

"Craig has been a big contributor and a big piece of our club, an underrated piece of our club," Daniels said.