"The A's had cast their line in some high-priced free agent waters this winter, only to come up empty.

They finally landed a big catch Tuesday, signing right-hander Ben Sheets to a one-year, $10 million contract that also could include up to $2 million in performance bonuses.

A four-time All-Star with the Milwaukee Brewers, Sheets missed the entire 2009 season after undergoing elbow surgery. But if he makes a healthy comeback, he'll join two-time All-Star Justin Duchscherer atop a promising rotation that was the major leagues' youngest last season.

It's quite the high-priced gamble for the A's, who typically don't throw big money at free-agent pitchers and aren't viewed as strong contenders in the American League West this season.

They went against the grain and gave Sheets, 31, the largest one-year salary in franchise history for a free agent who wasn't their own.

"Ben's been one of the top pitchers in the game, and when you have that opportunity, regardless of where you are as a club, you're going to take the chance," general manager Billy Beane said. —... This is a very competitive division, obviously. For us, this is probably the best bet we can take to narrow that gap.""