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Windy City trade winds Cubs acquire White from Expos for Downs
CHICAGO (AP) -- The Montreal Expos traded outfielder Rondell White to the Chicago Cubs for left-hander Scott Downs hours before Monday's trading deadline. The Cubs announced that they had acquired White, who had been prominently mentioned in trade talks. "I've known from the get-go that they were trying to trade me," White said Sunday. The New York Yankees, Seattle, Atlanta and Milwaukee had been interested in White, but may have backed off because of his injury-plagued career. White, 28, has been on the disabled list since July 8 with a strained right thigh. He hoped to be able to play either Tuesday or Wednesday.
He was hitting .307 with 11 homers and 54 RBIs before going on the DL. Last year, he hit a personal-best .312 and played in a career-high 138 games. In 742 major league games, White has a .293 average with 101 homers and 384 RBIs. White's contract is set to expire this season, though there is a club option for 2001. "I heard the Yankees didn't because they want a player who can play right now," he said. "I guess a lot of teams want to win it right now, they don't want a player who's hurt and his hamstring might get pulled again. I think that had a lot to do with it." The Cubs have made a late run to close within 8 1/2 games of St. Louis in the NL Central, and Andy MacPhail, who recently took over for Ed Lynch as general manager, had been busy, having already traded away Glenallen Hill to the Yankees and Ismael Valdes to the Dodgers. Downs, 24, was 4-3 with a 5.17 ERA in 18 starts. A third-round selection of the Cubs in 1997, he was traded to the Twins after the 1998 season and then reacquired in May of 1999.
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