Slugger Khris Davis (18) hits a solo home run in the fifth inning against the St. Louis Cardinals at Miller Park. Photo Credit: Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports
The Milwaukee Brewers traded outfielder Khris Davis to the Oakland Athletics on Friday night in exchange for catcher Jacob Nottingham and pitcher Bubba Derby.
To clear space for Davis on the 40-man roster, the A’s designated left-hander Sean Nolin for assignment.
The 28-year-old Davis batted .247 with 27 home runs and 66 RBIs in 121 games last season for the Brewers after compiling 22 homers and 69 RBIs while batting .244 in 144 games in 2014. He is not eligible for arbitration until the 2016 season ends and is ineligible for free agency until 2019.
Davis is expected to play left field for the A’s, who have 36-year-old Coco Crisp returning from an injury-filled 2015 season. Davis also sat out early last season, missing six weeks with a knee injury that required surgery.
With Davis departed, the Brewers could turn to highly regarded prospect Domingo Santana in left field.
In return for Davis, the Brewers received two young minor leaguers who are ranked the Nos. 11 and 12 prospects on the A’s farm system by Baseball America.
Nottingham was a sixth-round draft pick by Houston in 2013 and Derby was drafted in the sixth round last year by the A’s.
The 6-foot-3, 230-pound Nottingham, who had a football scholarship offer to play linebacker at Arizona, was traded by the Houston Astros to the A’s last season in the deal that included left-hander Scott Kazmir. Nottingham gives the Brewers a top-level catching prospect in their organization who eventually could succeed Jonathan Lucroy.
Derby pitched at San Diego State. Last year in 14 rookie league games (10 starts), the right-hander posted a 1-1 record with a 1.21 ERA.
Earlier in the day, the Brewers signed right-hander Blaine Boyer to a minor league contract with an invitation to spring training.
The 33-year-old Boyer pitched in 68 games in relief for the Minnesota Twins in 2015 and posted a 3-6 record with a 2.49 ERA. In 333 career major-league appearances with six teams, Boyer is 12-21 with a 4.22 ERA.
