|
|
 |
 |   |
EVENTS Fantasy Central Inside Game Video Plus Statitudes Your Turn Message Boards Email Newsletters Golf Guide Cities 
CNNSI.com GROUP
COMMERCE
|  |
Red Sox acquire Urbina from Expos
Updated: Wednesday August 01, 2001 2:33 AM
BOSTON (AP) -- Montreal reliever Ugueth Urbina, nearly traded to the New York Yankees in June, instead got sent to the rival Boston Red Sox on Tuesday for two minor league pitchers. Boston sent Tomo Ohka and Rich Rundles to the Expos in a deal completed shortly before the 4 p.m. EDT non-waiver trading deadline. The Red Sox needed bullpen help, with closer Derek Lowe struggling much of the season, and found it in Urbina, who underwent surgery for elbow chips last year but remains a hard thrower. Manager Jimy Williams said Lowe remains his closer. Urbina, with Montreal in Arizona, was expected to arrive for Wednesday night's game against Anaheim. "He's death to right-handed hitters," Red Sox general manager Dan Duquette said. "If you need a strikeout in a key situation, he can provide that." He said he wasn't concerned about Urbina's health and the trade was not contingent on the reliever passing a physical. The Yankees were concerned after giving him a medical exam.
Boston pitching coach Joe Kerrigan talked with Urbina while the Red Sox were in Montreal two weeks ago. "He told me he was feeling strong again," Kerrigan said. "The kid's a real animal on the mound. He's not afraid of anything in life or on the baseball field." Lowe, 4-8 with a 4.15 ERA, said he expects to retain his job. "When the ninth inning comes, you don't want two or three guys wondering who it's going to be," Lowe said. "Hopefully, I'll pitch the ninth inning tonight and get a save and let tomorrow take care of itself." Lowe, more subdued than usual, noted that his 21 saves in 24 chances is a better percentage than he had at this point last season. He's been successful in 44 of his last 47 tries. "I have a lot of confidence in Derek Lowe," Duquette said, "but if I have the opportunity to add another top quality relief pitcher, I think it's in the interest of the team to add him to the team and let those things work themselves out," he said. Urbina, who makes $4.2 million and is eligible for salary arbitration, was 2-1 with 15 saves and a 4.24 ERA. The 27-year-old righty led the NL with 41 saves in 1999, but missed most of the last season after undergoing reconstructive elbow surgery. Duquette said he began talking to Montreal about Urbina last November. Montreal and the Yankees agreed in mid-June to a tentative trade that would have sent Urbina to the Yankees for minor leaguers D'Angelo Jimenez and Brandon Knight. But after medical exams on June 18, the Yankees were concerned about Urbina's health and the Expos weren't happy with Knight's medical tests, and the deal was called off. The Red Sox, who also received cash in the deal, began the day 31/2 games behind the Yankees in the AL East. Ohka was 2-5 with 6.19 ERA for the Red Sox before being sent down to Class AAA Pawtucket last week. Rundles was 7-6 with a 2.43 at Class A Augusta. "We gave up a major league pitcher in Ohka who's had several chances to help our major league team this year, and it didn't look like he was going to help," Duquette said.
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
