Blue56
12-11-2004, 07:24 PM
trade info (http://mlb.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/mlb/news/mlb_news.jsp?ymd=20041211&content_id=920775&vkey=news_mlb&fext=.jsp)
ANAHEIM -- The Pirates and Indians completed a deal that had been rumored for weeks, trading reliever Arthur Rhodes and right fielder Matt Lawton.
The deal improves both clubs. In Lawton, the Pirates pick up a leadoff hitter to replace Jason Kendall, while the Indians now have the veteran left-hander Rhodes in their bullpen.
With Rhodes and Lawton in the same salary range, the financial aspects of the deal also make sense for both teams.
In trading the 33-year-old Lawton, the Indians are showing flexibility in their efforts to improve the ballclub. General manager Mark Shapiro had headed into the offseason with signing free agents a higher priority than making trades.
Shapiro did re-sign closer Bob Wickman, but Shapiro's efforts to sign a No. 2 or No. 3 pitcher ran into financial stumbling blocks. His last offer to free agent David Wells did not land the 41-year-old left-hander, who signed with the Red Sox on Saturday.
Losing Wells and other free agent pitchers pushed Shapiro to explore alternatives, ones that had less financial liabilities tied to them.
"We deal with a more finite budget than a lot of teams, and we deal with less of an ability to incur risks than a lot of teams," he said. "But the market's probably pushed our appetite for risk a little farther than where we'd normally gone."
The Pirates are trading away a reliever who came from the Athletics in the Kendall deal.
Rhodes had signed with the A's in 2003, after he left the Mariners. The A's had hoped Rhodes would be their closer, even though he had spent most of his career as a setup man.
The 35-year-old Rhodes went 3-3 with a 5.12 ERA, and nine saves, for the A's in 2004.
ANAHEIM -- The Pirates and Indians completed a deal that had been rumored for weeks, trading reliever Arthur Rhodes and right fielder Matt Lawton.
The deal improves both clubs. In Lawton, the Pirates pick up a leadoff hitter to replace Jason Kendall, while the Indians now have the veteran left-hander Rhodes in their bullpen.
With Rhodes and Lawton in the same salary range, the financial aspects of the deal also make sense for both teams.
In trading the 33-year-old Lawton, the Indians are showing flexibility in their efforts to improve the ballclub. General manager Mark Shapiro had headed into the offseason with signing free agents a higher priority than making trades.
Shapiro did re-sign closer Bob Wickman, but Shapiro's efforts to sign a No. 2 or No. 3 pitcher ran into financial stumbling blocks. His last offer to free agent David Wells did not land the 41-year-old left-hander, who signed with the Red Sox on Saturday.
Losing Wells and other free agent pitchers pushed Shapiro to explore alternatives, ones that had less financial liabilities tied to them.
"We deal with a more finite budget than a lot of teams, and we deal with less of an ability to incur risks than a lot of teams," he said. "But the market's probably pushed our appetite for risk a little farther than where we'd normally gone."
The Pirates are trading away a reliever who came from the Athletics in the Kendall deal.
Rhodes had signed with the A's in 2003, after he left the Mariners. The A's had hoped Rhodes would be their closer, even though he had spent most of his career as a setup man.
The 35-year-old Rhodes went 3-3 with a 5.12 ERA, and nine saves, for the A's in 2004.