After spending the first eight years of his major league career with the Royals, Billy Butler signed with the A’s as a free agent in November. For the past seven seasons, he has worn uniform No. 16. Thanks to Josh Reddick, Butler will be wearing the same number with Oakland.
Reddick was happy to oblige, offering up the number he’s worn for the A’s since 2012. He also received a brand new X-Box out of the deal. Butler initially wasn’t sure he would be able to get his preferred number but, thankfully for him, it all worked out in the end.
“When I first signed here with the A’s, I wasn’t sure who had the number, and when I realized it was Josh, I thought I’d be looking for another number,” Butler said via the San Jose Mercury News. “But we talked, he offered it to me, and we worked out a deal.”
“I really respect what he did, because he didn’t have to do it.”
We’ve seen on numerous occasions how particular athletes are when it comes to their uniform numbers. However, acquiring a number already in use can be a tricky proposition. Sometimes cash works, like Darrell Revis reportedly paying Mark Barron $50,000 to get No. 24 with the Buccaneers. On other occasions, goods are used as an incentive. When Adrian Wilson went to the Patriots, he offered Kyle Arrington a year’s supply of diapers since Arrington and his wife recently welcomed their first child.
Compared to these two instances, Butler made out pretty well only having to buy a video game console.
H/T HardballTalk
