The Oakland Athletics agreed to sign right-handed relief pitcher Santiago Casilla on Wednesday, according to media reports. 

The sides reached agreement on a two-year, $11 million contract with $3 million in incentives that would push the contract to a $14 million guarantee if met. He can earn $1.5 million in each season based on the number of games he finishes. 

Casilla will add depth to the Athletics' bullpen that has not seen a lot of additions this offseason. Oakland, however, had been in the market for a reliever for some time. 

The Oakland Athletics have released designated hitter Billy Butler, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle first reported. 

While with the Athletics, Butler struggled to produce at the level he once did during his days with the Kansas City Royals. 

This season, the 30-year-old Butler has posted a .276/.331/.403 slash line over 85 games. Hitting just four home runs and driving in 31, Butler has been worth -0.5 fWAR. 

Not to mention, Butler was involved in a clubhouse altercation with third baseman Danny Valencia a few weeks ago, resulting in a concussion. General manager David Forst said, though, that this had nothing to do with his release. 

Butler signed a three-year, $30 million deal with the Athletics in 2014 and still has a year left on his contract. Because all baseball contracts are fully guaranteed, Oakland will still owe Butler the $11.67 million he was set to make next year. 

In his two seasons with the Athletics, Butler hit for a .719 OPS (99 OPS+) with 19 home runs and 96 RBI over 843 plate appearances. According to FanGraphs, he was worth a -1.2 fWAR during this timeframe. 

--Devan Fink

The Cleveland Indians have a deal in place to acquire outfielder Coco Crisp from the Oakland Athletics, MLB Trade Rumors' Steve Adams reports on Tuesday. 

In return, the Athletics received left-handed pitcher Colt Hynes, they announced Wednesday. 

​Crisp has full no-trade status because he has played 10 years in Major League Baseball and has played at least five years with his current team. He has provided his consent to a deal, Adams reports. 

Cleveland has a good collection of outfielders already on the big league squad, with Lonnie Chisenhall, Tyler Naquin, Abraham Almonte, Rajai Davis and Brandon Guyer all serving a considerable amount of time in the starting lineup. Almonte, though, is ineligible for the postseason after serving a PED suspension, likely leading to the need for another outfielder. The team also has utility man Michael Martinez on hand, who may lose his spot when the team officially makes the move for Crisp. 

The loss of Michael Brantley for the season, though, was unfortunate for Cleveland, as he was a budding star in the outfield the past two seasons. He finished third in the AL MVP voting in 2014. 

Regardless, the Indians have received great value out of their tandem of outfielders, which Crisp will only add to. Coming into Tuesday, the Indians posted the third-highest team fWAR from their outfielders and the seventh-highest wRC+ among all Major League teams. 

In this trade, the 36-year-old Crisp will be going back to the team where he spent his first four seasons in the Major Leagues from 2002 to 2005.

It's likely his new stay in Cleveland won't last long, however, as Crisp has a $13 million vesting option with a $750,000 buyout for 2017.  It vests at 130 games played or 550 plate appearances this season, both of which seem out of reach considering he probably will not get a large role in the crowded outfield. This will make him a free agent at the end of the year.

In the meantime, Crisp is closing out a two-year, $22.75 million deal that pays him $11 million this season. The Athletics will be paying all but $500,000 that remains on his deal, FanRag Sports' Jon Heyman reports. 

In 434 plate appearances, Crisp is hitting .234/.299/.399 (89 wRC+) with 11 home runs and 47 RBI in 102 games. According to FanGraphs, Crisp has also been a below-average defender, making him worth a total of -0.5 wins above replacement. 

Lifetime, Crisp is a .266/.327/.402 hitter over 15 seasons in the big leagues. 

--Devan Fink

The Los Angeles Dodgers and Oakland Athletics matched up on a blockbuster trade on Monday, getting a five-player deal done hours before the MLB trade deadline. 

The Dodgers agreed to acquire left-handed starting pitcher Rich Hill and outfielder Josh Reddick, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. 

But it took a pretty penny to get those solid Major League pieces. The Athletics received three very good right-handed pitching prospects in exchange for Hill and Reddick: Grant Holmes, Frankie Montas and Jharel Cotton. 

The Dodgers have been in the market for both an outfielder and a starting pitcher this deadline season, exploring all options. In this trade, they get both in one swoop. 

Both Reddick and Hill are rentals. They will be free agents at the end of the season. However, the Dodgers have a great farm system, especially considering their financial muscle that allows them to go after top international prospects. 

Looking forward, Reddick likely will play in right field for the Dodgers, where Yasiel Puig has been for most of the season. This trade could make Puig expendable in the trade season's final few hours. 

The 29-year-old Reddick has been a mainstay in the Athletics' lineup over the past five seasons. He's having his best offensive season to date, hitting .296/.368/.449 with eight home runs and 28 RBI in 272 plate appearances. According to FanGraphs, he has been worth 1.0 WAR. 

As for Hill, the Dodgers are dealing with lots of injuries to their starting pitchers. Clayton Kershaw, Hyun-jin Ryu, Alex Wood and Brett Anderson are all on the disabled list right now. In fact, Hill is dealing with a blister and he will go on the DL when first joining Los Angeles too. But he should recover in the 15-day timeframe and provide good depth the rest of the year. 

The 36-year-old Hill has had a complete revival over the past two seasons, making him one of the most attractive arms on the trade market this July. He's 9-3 with a 2.25 ERA and a 90-28 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 76 innings pitched (14 starts). According to FanGraphs, he has been worth 2.5 WAR but is dealing with his aforementioned blister. 

As for the Athletics' return, they snagged two of the Dodgers' top 10 prospects (MLB.com), with all three of the prospects dealt ranking within their top 15. 

Grant Holmes, 20, is pitching at Class-A Advanced, where he has pitched in 20 games (18 starts). The Dodgers' 2014 first round pick has a 4.02 ERA and a 100-43 strikeout-to-walk ratio there in 105 1/3 innings, projecting as a starter. He is the Dodgers' No. 5 prospect.

Frankie Montas, 23, is currently on the Triple-A disabled list but ranks as the Dodgers' eighth-best prospect. The right-hander has a 2.25 ERA and a 22-3 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 16 innings pitched this season. He can hit 102 MPH on the gun with his fastball. 

Jharel Cotton, 24, is also at Triple-A. The Dodgers' No. 13 prospect has a 4.90 ERA and a 119-32 strikeout-to-walk ratio there over 97 1/3 innings pitched. The U.S. Virgin Island native has a good fastball, which he can use to strike lots of guys out. He and Montas project as relievers. 

Now, this is a deal. 

​--Devan Fink

The New York Mets have expressed interest in Oakland Athletics' third baseman Danny Valencia, The New York Post's Ken Davidoff reported on Saturday. 

Davidoff reports that the Mets reached out to the Athletics prior to their acquisition of Kelly Johnson from the Braves. 

Despite that, however, Davidoff says that the Mets could still consider pursuing Valencia in the future. 

Though, with Johnson, the team did get a replacement for David Wright (who may miss the rest of the season). However, Valencia could also fill a utility role, having spent time in the outfield and at second and first base (though in limited opportunities) in the past. 

The 31-year-old Valencia is having a career year in Oakland in 2016 and will not hit free agency until after next season. He's cheap too; Valencia is only under contract for $3.15 million this season. 

Valencia is hitting .331/.375/.551 with 10 home runs and 27 RBIs in 192 plate appearances this season. He has been worth 1.1 FanGraphs Wins Above Replacement in just 47 games, which is the third-highest total for his career. 

--Devan Fink