It didn't take Billy Butler long to find a new home.
Released by the A's on Sunday, Butler has agreed to a major league deal with the New York Yankees, according to multiple national reports.
News of the deal was first reported by FanRag Sports' Jon Heyman.
The A's cut tied with Butler after two unproductive seasons in Green and Gold. In 236 games, Butler hit .258 with 19 home runs and 96 RBI.
Butler is still owed $11.67 million by the A's for the 2017 season. For the remainder of the season, the Yankees will pay Butler the prorated veteran minimum.
On Sunday, A's GM David Forst and manager Bob Melvin said the team's desire to play young players meant less playing time for Butler.
Oakland Athletics
"This was the right time to move on," Forst told reporters on Sunday. "It's something we've discussed. A lot of the younger players are here now, potentially more coming once Nashville's done. The at-bats just were not there. It's time for us to move our focus beyond."
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"It's uncomfortable for a guy like (Butler) to sit on the bench," Melvin said Sunday. "… It was just time to move on. He wasn't gonna be in our plans for next year. I give the organization credit for doing this now as opposed to later, which could make an uncomfortable situation even worse with a guy like him not getting at-bats.
"We wish him the best. It just never ended up being a great fit here."
Butler met with reporters shortly after being released and indicated that he could see the writing on the wall.
"I knew it was a possibility because I wasn't playing. It's been like that all year," the 30-year-old Butler said Sunday. "Now that Coco (Crisp)'s gone, I was the highest paid player. They're not gonna let guys making that much just sit around and not make a move eventually. I've been in this game long enough to know that moves like this happen. Unfortunately the last two seasons, as a team it has not worked out the way we expected. Your higher paid players end up taking the brunt of that."
