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There have been media reports the past several weeks that Sonny Gray is on the move for the Oakland Athletics. There is no way the A’s trade Gray since he hasn’t even reached arbitration yet, but there is one player who has been on the block since the A’s acquired Yonder Alonso. That is Billy Butler.
Butler is a high OBP guy with doubles power and no defensive prowess. That relegates him to DH or substandard play at first. What teams need a non-defensive, slow-footed first baseman?
The Baltimore Orioles have been tied to Alex Gordon and Justin Upton since they stopped negotiating with Chris Davis. Hyun-soo Kim has just been signed to play right, but they will still need a DH if one of the big guns don’t sign with them. Butler could slide right into the DH role.
The Seattle Mariners have Seth Smith in right so Nelson Cruz can DH, but maybe they need to play Cruz in right. It would be slightly awkward to trade Butler within the division, though. Butler has only been with the A’s for one season, so it wouldn’t be impossible.
If they’re willing to trade him within the division, the Houston Astros are another potential trading partner. They are actively seeking an upgrade at DH from what Evan Gattis did last year. They already non-tendered Chris Carter to improve the play at first, so Butler could slide right in.
If it’s between Butler getting traded to a divisional opponent or staying in the Bay, he’ll be an Athletic all year long. If the decision has to do with getting Butler to Baltimore or staying in Oakland, he’ll be having crab cakes in April. The Orioles have been offering Ubaldo Jimenez for a backup DH, but he’s not a good fit for the A’s. Butler likely will start the season in Oakland whether Gray is his teammate or not.
Nick Vorholt is a writer for www.RantSports.com covering the Cincinnati Reds and Oakland Athletics.
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