Brewers trade for Pirates' Torres

Brewers trade for Pirates' Torres
By Tom Haudricourt
Friday, Dec 7 2007, 01:18 PM

Before leaving the winter meetings Thursday in Nashville, Milwaukee Brewers general manager Doug Melvin said he was looking for "one more arm out there" for his bullpen.

He found that arm Friday.

Continuing to retool his bullpen after the losses of closer Francisco Cordero and set-up Scott Linebrink to free agency, Melvin acquired workhorse right-hander Salomon Torres from Pittsburgh in exchange for minor league relievers Marino Salas and Kevin Roberts.

Torres was the second veteran reliever officially added to the bullpen in two days. On Wednesday, the Brewers wrapped up a three-year deal with free-agent right-hander David Riske.

Torres, 35, had two stints on the disabled list in 2007 with elbow inflammation, and for the first time in four years did not make at least 78 appearances. In 56 games, he was 2-4 with a 5.47 ERA and 12 saves in 18 chances.

In 2006, Torres appeared in a major-league high 94 games. He made 78 appearances in 2005 and 84 in 2004.

In 12-plus big-league seasons, Torres is 37-53 with a 4.40 ERA in 426 games (64 starts). Much like Riske, he has spent most of his career as a set-up man but also has done some closing, converting 29 of 43 chances, including 24 of 33 in the last two seasons.

To acquire Torres, the Brewers parted with two good, young arms from their system. Salas, 26, who began the 2007 season on the club's 40-man roster after being acquired on waivers from Baltimore, split the year between Class AA Huntsville and Class AAA Nashville.

Salas compiled a 1.42 ERA with 17 saves in 37 outings at Huntsville and a 4.94 ERA in 14 outings at Nashville, with a total of 22 walks and 54 strikeouts in 61 2/3 innings.

Roberts, 23, a fifth-round draft pick in 2005 out of the University of Houston, made 45 appearances for high Class A Brevard County, going 6-3 with a 3.44 ERA and four saves. In 65 1/3 innings, he allowed 51 hits and 37 walks while logging 74 strikeouts.

Both Salas and Roberts are right-handers.

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gogetemtigers wrote:

bobrob, do you know your signature pic is gone? Someone steal it????

Really? I can see it just fine!

I can't see it either

catbox_9 wrote:

I can't see it either

Thanks for the info! Beats having to go to MLB>com all the time when I am on the Tigers Board!

bobrob2004 wrote:

catbox_9 wrote:

I can't see it either

I can see it!

SoulRat wrote:

bobrob2004 wrote:

catbox_9 wrote:

I can't see it either

I can see it!

Your signature looks lonely...

I just could not look at him in a Tiger uniform anymore

Torres traded, but weighing retirement
Pirates deal reliever to Milwaukee for two relief prospects
Saturday, December 08, 2007
By Dejan Kovacevic, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Just because Salomon Torres was traded to Milwaukee does not mean he has to go.

Torres, dealt by the Pirates yesterday for relief prospects Marino Salas and Kevin Roberts, said afterward he is considering retirement as much as he is considering reporting to the Brewers, even though he is guaranteed $3.2 million next year.

His reason: He is uncertain how a move will affect his family, which lives year-round in the North Hills.

"It's a giant move, and I have to make a decision if I want to go forward," Torres said. "This is going to change my life, my family's life. If I leave them here, they're going to have to be without me for a full year. If I take them with me, they're going to be affected."

Torres made clear he was not close to a decision, adding it might take several days or more.

"I just need to talk to my family. I can tell you this: If I go to Milwaukee, I'm going to give my heart and soul to the Brewers," he said. "If I stay, I'll be the same way. I'll be the one playing with my daughters and son and maybe even doing some of the cooking. It's a big decision, and I'm going to base it on my family."

Torres, a devoutly religious man who wears his heart on his sleeve, and his wife, Belkis, have two daughters, 4 and 6, and a 2-month-old son. That is one factor. Another is that Torres, 36, has spoken of retirement previously, having mentioned several times last season that he planned to pitch for only one more year. Also, remember that he retired in mid-career for three years before the Pirates signed him in 2002.

Once the trade was completed, shortly before 3 p.m. yesterday, Torres became Milwaukee property. Thus, if he retires, he will do so as a member of that team. The Brewers could appeal for a reversal of the trade, but precedents show they likely would lose.

Milwaukee officials attempted last night to sway Torres. Jack Zduriencik, the Brewers' scouting director and a New Castle native who knows Torres, had a lengthy phone conversation with him.

"I think it's all the emotion right now," Brewers general manager Doug Melvin said last night. "When he talked to Jack, he said he was thrilled to be coming to the Brewers. I'm hoping he gets over this. All indications he gave Jack were that he wanted to come."

Torres, who had the longest tenure of any active Pirates player other than shortstop Jack Wilson, ended his Pittsburgh career with 358 appearances to rank 10th on the franchise's all-time list. He was one of Major League Baseball's most effective and durable middle relievers in 2004-06, tying Kent Tekulve's team record with 94 appearances in 2006.

But, after an offseason in which he admittedly failed to get into peak shape, Torres struggled in 2007. He lost his job as closer in May and finished with a 5.47 ERA in 56 appearances, the smaller workload due to recurring elbow tendonitis.

"Salomon Torres had a solid career with the Pirates, and we wish him well in the future," general manager Neal Huntington said in a statement.

Torres had his differences with the Pirates, notably the grievance he filed in March accusing the team of "tricking" him out of $1.5 million he was owed on his current contract. He said at the time that former general manager Dave Littlefield promised the Pirates would rent one of his two baseball academies in the Dominican Republic in return for a discount on his contract. The team denied that and was prepared to contest it, but Torres said in August he no longer would pursue the grievance.

Lingering feelings from that dispute, however, could have contributed to the team's decision to trade Torres. The Pirates' brass is stressing a change in the team's "culture," and this move came one day after unhappy, unproductive infielder Jose Castillo was released.

Financially, the Pirates shave a $3.5 million commitment -- Torres' salary next season and a $3.75 million club option for 2009 with a $300,000 buyout -- but team officials were adamant that money was not a factor. And there is ample cause to believe that, given that the bullpen now lacks any reliable right-handed reliever other than closer Matt Capps. Finding so many compeitent arms will be costly.

Salas, a 26-year-old right-hander, had 17 saves and a 2.77 ERA in 51 appearances last season, split between Class AA Huntsville and Class AAA Nashville. He has 82 saves and a 3.59 career ERA in six minor-league seasons.

Roberts, a 23-year-old right-hander, had a 3.44 ERA in 45 appearances last season for Brevard County in high Class A. Since being Milwaukee's fifth pick in the 2005 draft, he has 12 saves a 4.07 ERA in 101 appearances, including 19 starts.

Huntington called Salas and Roberts "two young relief pitchers who provide us with quality depth, options and multiple years of control," but neither is expected to reach the majors next season.

Neither Salas nor Roberts ranked among Milwaukee's top 30 prospects, according to Baseball America's analysis last month, but the Brewers' scouting staff -- among the best in the business -- is known to think highly of Roberts' potential.

bobrob2004 wrote:

catbox_9 wrote:

I can't see it either

I think my signature is gone again. I'm thinking about changing it. Besides, I'm getting tired of the scrolling...

bobrob2004 wrote:

bobrob2004 wrote:

catbox_9 wrote:

I can't see it either

I think my signature is gone again. I'm thinking about changing it. Besides, I'm getting tired of the scrolling...

I can see your signature!

catbox_9 wrote:

bobrob2004 wrote:

bobrob2004 wrote:

catbox_9 wrote:

I can't see it either

I think my signature is gone again. I'm thinking about changing it. Besides, I'm getting tired of the scrolling...

I can see your signature!

I can see it again too! It keeps coming and going!

Gagne deal is for one year
By Tom Haudricourt
Saturday, Dec 8 2007, 04:18 PM

As I suspected, I've gotten it confirmed that the Brewers' pending deal with free agent reliever Eric Gagne is for one year, the maximum term general manager Doug Melvin wanted to go.

Amazingly, I've heard the deal might be near $10 million, which is more than I thought the Brewers would spend. The key is that the deal is for one year, so if something happens to Gagne, the Brewers wouldn't be committed beyond '08. Don't forget, Melvin offered Francisco Cordero a four-year, $42 million deal before he took $4 million more to sign with Cincinnati.

Don't expect the Brewers to announce this deal, or even confirm it, for a few days. Teams have been cautioned by MLB not to announce deals until the players involved take their physicals. Gagne has had injury problems in the past but supposedly is healthy now.

I also expect newly acquired Salomon Torres to report instead of retiring, meaning the Brewers will have picked up Guillermo Mota, David Riske, Torres and Gagne since losing set-up man Scott Linebrink and Cordero. Melvin obviously was determined to do the best he could to recover from those losses.

I'll have more details on the pending Gagne deal in my story in the JS on Sunday morning.

The Brewers have some roster manuevering to do, too, first for Torres and then for Cordero. Two players have to go. You have to wonder if some players such as outfielder Kevin Mench and reliever Matt Wise will be non-tendered contracts for next year.

bobrob2004 wrote:

The Brewers have some roster manuevering to do, too, first for Torres and then for Cordero.

I think he means Gagne here as Cordero already signed with the Reds.