Trillo was involved in a pair of controversies about his roster eligibility for the 1973 World Series. MLB strictly enforced a rule that only players on a major league roster on August 31 were eligible for the postseason. After José Morales' contract was sold to the Montreal Expos on September 18 and Bill North severely sprained an ankle, the A's petitioned for and received approval from the Baltimore Orioles to allow the additions of both Trillo and Allan Lewis to its roster for the American League Championship Series. A's owner Charlie Finley submitted the same request to the New York Mets, his team's Fall Classic opponent which only approved Lewis but denied Trillo his eligibility. When Mike Andrews committed two errors in a four-run twelfth inning of Oakland's Game 2 defeat, Finley attempted to have Andrews waived onto the disabled list in order to activate Trillo. Commissioner Bowie Kuhn ruled against Finley who was forced to reinstate Andrews for Game 4.