Tommy Milone was the odd man out in the A’s rotation before today, so there was really no place for him in Oakland following the Jon Lester trade. And now the 27-year-old left-hander is headed to Minnesota is a deal that brings 32-year-old outfielder Sam Fuld back to Oakland.
Fuld has had a very nice season for the Twins, hitting .274 with a .370 on-base percentage and 12 steals in 53 games, but he’s a career .240 hitter with a .323 OBP and Minnesota claimed him off waivers from Oakland in April. In other words, three months ago the A’s didn’t even think Fuld was worth a roster spot. He’s a solid fourth outfielder who can get on base a little bit with good speed and plus defense, but mostly this move speaks to how little the A’s now think of Milone and how worried they are about center field with Coco Crisp and Craig Gentry hurting.
Milone’s numbers with the A’s have been solid, including a 3.84 ERA in 443 innings, but a good defense and a pitcher-friendly ballpark have made him look better than he actually is. He’s a soft-tossing southpaw with a career strikeout rate of 6.5 per nine innings--which certainly fits the Twins’ preferred pitching mold--but he’s closer to a fourth or fifth starter than a mid-rotation guy. Still, to get a useful 27-year-old starting pitcher for a 32-year-old outfielder you claimed off waivers a few months ago is a no-brainer move for Minnesota.