Josh Reddick traded his number to Billy Butler for a winch

Josh Reddick traded his jersey number to new teammate Billy Butler, and got a mechanical winch in return.

The Oakland Athletics acquired designated hitter (and occasional first baseman) Billy Butler in a three year, $30 million deal this offseason. While that contract was met with some surprise, Butler is now a member of the Oakland roster and, as such, he is now busy getting settled with his new clubhouse.

For Butler, who has worn jersey number 16 for his entire professional career, the settling-in process apparently means "purchasing" that number from new teammate Josh Reddick.

Amusingly, Reddick evidently didn't ask for money in exchange for his number, but instead for a winch. Reddick let the world know via Twitter that he was quite pleased with the transaction.

For the non-mechanically inclined, a winch is a mechanical tool used to alter the tension of a rope. Reddick must have many ropes on which he needs to alter the tension, because he was quite enthused by his new acquisition.

Billy Butler may get some criticism for his statistical profile, but if Reddick is any indication, he is already popular with his teammates.

 - Brad Rowland