The Oakland A’s lost a starting pitcher when Drew Pomeranz fractured his hand by punching a chair, but they replaced him for next to nothing. Literally.
The A’s acquired Brad Mills from the Milwaukee Brewers for $1. That’s a one with no zeros, and it’s not a typo.
It’s common for players to be traded for “cash considerations” or even “future considerations” — Boston Red Sox pitcher Craig Breslow and outfielder Daniel Nava both entered the league for $1 — but that usually lands you a spot on a minor league roster. According Fox’s Ken Rosenthal, Mills is expected to join the A’s starting rotation, possibly as early as Saturday’s game against the Red Sox.
Mills has had a rough MLB career, racking up a 7.76 ERA over 53 1/3 innings from 2009 to 2012. However, he’s been performing well in Triple-A Nashville. He has a 1.56 ERA over 75 innings, and his strikeout and walk rates are better than they’ve ever been.
Mills had an opt-out clause in his contract that allowed him to leave the Brewers beginning June 15 without compensation if he was added to a 25-man roster on another team, which explains the minuscule contract.
And even if the move doesn’t work out, the A’s have enough insurance in the AL West to lose one game, and they’ll lose the equivalent of a vending machine snack in funds.
That’s Moneyball for you.
