Milwaukee lands Wolf & Hawkins; O's get Millwood

[December 10, 2009]  INDIANAPOLIS (AP) -- Pitchers were on the move at the winter meetings, with Milwaukee landing Randy Wolf and LaTroy Hawkins, and Baltimore acquiring Kevin Millwood in a trade with Texas.

As the Rangers dealt Millwood, they added Rich Harden. The Yankees re-signed postseason star Andy Pettitte as they completed the three-team, seven-player swap that brought them All-Star center fielder Curtis Granderson. And Houston reeled in hard-throwing reliever Matt Lindstrom from the Florida Marlins on Wednesday.

Going into the final morning of the annual four-day annual session, the Boston Red Sox were discussing whether to trade 2007 World Series MVP Mike Lowell to Texas, and Atlanta and Tampa Bay neared a trade that would send reliever Rafael Soriano to the Rays, most likely with a new contract as part of the deal.

As always, money overshadowed everything, with some teams prepared to pay for top talent and others set to slice payroll.

"We are making some adjustments and it's a business decision," Detroit Tigers general manager Dave Dombrowski said after dealing Granderson to the Yankees and All-Star pitcher Edwin Jackson to the Diamondbacks.

Detroit obtained lefty reliever Phil Coke and outfield prospect Austin Jackson from the Yankees, plus touted young pitchers Max Scherzer and Daniel Schlereth from Arizona. The Diamondbacks also got right-hander Ian Kennedy from New York.

Baltimore will receive $3 million from Texas along with Millwood, while the cash-strapped Rangers get a player to be named. The money offsets part of the former All-Star's $12 million salary.

"Our job is to identify motivated buyers and motivated sellers," said Andy MacPhail, Orioles president of baseball operations.

Millwood, who lives in Texas, heads to a team coming off its 12th straight losing season. He was 13-10 with a 3.67 ERA and three complete games this year.

Relief pitcher Chris Ray and a player to be named head to the Rangers, a club in the process of being sold. Ray, 28 next month, was 0-4 with a 7.27 ERA in 46 games and has struggled since elbow surgery two years ago.

Texas also reached a preliminary agreement at $7.5 million, subject to a physical, with the hard-throwing Harden, who struck out 171 batters in 141 innings last season. Harden, who turned 28 last month, is 50-29 with a 3.39 ERA in seven big league seasons.but has been slowed by seven trips to the disabled list.

Milwaukee, trying to rebound from an 80-82 record and third-place finish in the NL Central, agreed to a $29.75 million, three-year contract with Wolf and a $7.5 million, two-year deal with Hawkins. Both agreements are subject to completion of final details, two people familiar with the talks said, speaking on condition of anonymity because no announcements had been made.

Wolf, a 33-year-old left-hander, was 11-7 with a 3.23 ERA this year in the lone season of his second stint with the Los Angeles Dodgers. Hawkins, a right-hander who turns 37 on Dec. 21, went 1-4 with a 2.13 ERA and 11 saves for Houston.

Pettitte got an $11.75 million, one-year contract, up from a $5.5 million base with $5 million in earned bonuses last season. The 37-year-old left-hander was 14-8 with a 4.16 ERA in 32 regular-season starts and 4-0 with a 3.52 ERA in five postseason starts. He became the first pitcher to start and win the clincher in all three postseason rounds.

"How could you finish any better?" said Pettitte, who contemplated retirement before deciding: "Let's do it another year."

After finishing off Pettitte's deal, New York general manager Brian Cashman completed the trade bringing Granderson to the Bronx. While the Yankees usually get deals started at the winter meetings, it's rare that they finalize them. Cashman didn't even bring a suit and went to the microphone wearing blue jeans.

"This is my first podium ever," Cashman whispered to Dombrowski.

Granderson faces an immediate issue in New York. His longtime number is No. 28, and Yankees manager Joe Girardi intends to switch from No. 27 to No. 28 -- signifying the Yankees' quest for their 28th World Series title next year.

Growing up, he also wore Nos. 2 and 8

"So those numbers aren't options either," he said, knowing full well that the first belongs to Derek Jeter and the latter was retired for Yogi Berra and Bill Dickey.

On other fronts, Florida got two low-level minor leaguers, right-hander Robert Bono and infielder Luis Bryan, for Lindstrom, who went 2-1 with 15 saves in 17 chances and a 5.89 ERA last season.

"He has a tremendous arm and has shown closer's stuff in the past," Astros general manager Ed Wade said. "He had some health issues last season, but we believe he'll bounce back."

Houston was talking with reliever Brandon Lyon, and the sides could have a preliminary agreement at around $15 million over three years by Thursday, subject to a physical. Kansas City was talking with Jason Kendall, the Mets were negotiating with catcher Bengie Molina, and the agents for pitcher Aroldis Chapman said the Cuban defector will throw a bullpen session for teams next week in the Houston area.

[Associated Press; By RONALD BLUM]

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