Athletics option Tommy Milone to Triple-A

What do you get after going 6-0 with a 2.62 ERA over your last 11 major league starts? Apparently, if you're Oakland A's pitcher Tommy Milone, you get a bus ticket to Sacramento. 

Milone was demoted to Oakland's Triple-A affiliate on Saturday to clear a spot on the 25-man roster for incoming starter Jeff Samardzija. 

After one of those rich-get-richer type of deals, the A's, who already own the best team ERA (and the best starters ERA) in the American League, found themselves with literally too much pitching. Milone, who by all accounts has done a fine job this season, posting a 6-3 record with a 3.55 ERA overall (plus the aforementioned tear he's been on lately), was a casualty of that. 

Some of Milone's teammates, and his manager Bob Melvin, expressed their sympathy. 

"Here in my position, what do you even say to a guy like that?" Melvin said, of having to break the news. "He was a little bit shocked, and understandably so, but you haven’t seen the last of Tommy Milone here."

Said closer Sean Doolittle: "I feel terrible for him. He’s one of the most-liked guys in this clubhouse. He’s a great teammate. He has an unbelievable work ethic. It was really tough when I walked in here today and saw them cleaning out his locker."

Still, in spite of Milone's recent success, there are indicators that point to it being unsustainable, including a steep decline in his strikeout rate, a low average on balls in play despite a high line-drive rate, and both the worst strikeout-to-walk ratio and FIP of his career. 

In typical Oakland A's fashion, the team seems to have wrung unexpected production out of Milone, and then sent him down before regression had a chance to strike. 

Jason Hammel, the other starter the A's picked up in the deal, reportedly won't be with the club until Sunday, at which time the A's will have to make another corresponding roster move.