Confirmed: Billy Butler Signs 3 Year, $30 Million Deal with Athletics
By Nick Avila
According to multiple reports, the Oakland Athletics are close to signing the 28-year-old first basemen, Billy Butler to a three year deal worth $30 million.
Yes, Billy Butler barbecue sauce is moving to the pits in the Coliseum parking lot!
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Fox Sports’ Ken Rosenthal was one of the first to tweet about the rumblings, which were first brought up by Robert Murray and Devan F. of Cover Those Bases, and as Chris Cotillo just tweeted, per Buster Olney, it is a done deal.
Sources: #Athletics in serious talks with free agent Billy Butler. First reported: @CoverThoseBases.
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) November 19, 2014
Billy Butler to the #Athletics is a done deal, per @Buster_ESPN and first reported by @RobertMurrayMLB and @CoverThoseBases.
— Chris Cotillo (@ChrisCotillo) November 19, 2014
The rumor jumped almost out of nowhere, but turned out to be a very real deal, which results in the A’s literally bolstering their lineup. The A’s bring in Butler after losing to his former team, Kansas City Royals, in the Wild Card game in September. Butler went 2 for 4 with a pair of RBI in the game.
Billy Butler, who played his entire career in Kansas City will join counterparts John Jaso and Stephen Vogt as time-sharing first basemen and designated hitters. However, Butler isn’t really the “platoon-type”, with similar career slashes against either-handed pitchers. He compiled a .286/.347/.411 vs. right handers and a .309/.389/.509 vs south paws from 2012-14, according to ESPN, so the main difference is lack of power against the right-handed hurlers.
Butler had a seemingly low triple-slash (.271/.323/.379) in 2014, compared to his career (.295/.359/.449) and in 151 games had only nine home runs, his lowest total since 2007 when he had eight homers in 92 games.
Butler will more than likely see ample time at the DH for the A’s, but could see some time at first base as well. Butler struggled against the AL West in 2014, batting a combined 18/91 (.197) against the Houston Astros, Los Angeles Angels, Seattle Mariners and Texas Rangers, but he will have quite a bit more at-bats in 2015 to add to the sample size.