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Monday, July 31
 
Trade roundup: Martin to Mariners

ESPN.com news services

SEATTLE -- The Seattle Mariners acquired outfielder Al Martin from San Diego on Monday in a trade for outfielder John Mabry and right-hander Tom Davey.

Al Martin
Martin

Martin, 32, was hitting .306 with 11 homers and 27 RBI for the Padres. The Mariners expect him to report before Tuesday night's game against the Boston Red Sox.

He will back up left fielder Rickey Henderson and right fielder Jay Buhner as well as being available at designated hitter in case Edgar Martinez needs a rest.

"We think he's a quality left-hand bat," Mariners general manager Pat Gillick said. "We'd like to rest our outfielders as much as possible. Al will be in there when (manager Lou Piniella) deems to rest them."

Mabry is batting .243 with one homer and seven RBI. Davey has gone 8-6 with a 4.61 ERA for Triple-A Tacoma this year.

The Mariners were reportedly interested in Martin before the season, but he was traded to San Diego in February after eight seasons with the Pittsburgh Pirates. He had 24 homers and 20 steals in 1999.

Martin joins a roster that includes career steals leader Henderson and speedy center fielder Mike Cameron. Cameron has 158 stolen bases in his career.

"Al will allow us to do a couple of things," Piniella said. "He provides speed, is a quality hitter and can spell Rickey in left field when Rickey needs a day off. He makes us a better team."

Mabry, 29, was signed by the Mariners as a free agent in December 1998.

Davey, 26, was acquired along with left-hander Steve Sinclair in a July 1999 trade for first baseman David Segui.

Martin has been the subject of a domestic violence and bigamy investigation in Phoenix and Las Vegas, Nev. He was arrested March 20 in the Phoenix suburb of Scottsdale for investigation of assault in an incident involving a woman, Shawn Haggerty-Martin, who claims she married him in a 1998 Las Vegas ceremony when he already was married.

Padres officials have said Martin has known Haggerty-Martin for four or five years, and that his wife, Cathy Martin, is aware of her.

Martin has denied the accusations of violence and bigamy.

Results of the Maricopa County, Ariz. investigation were forwarded to the Clark County District Attorney's office in Las Vegas in May. No charges had been filed in Las Vegas as of Monday, the District Attorney's office said.

Blue Jays pick up Trachsel from D-Rays
OAKLAND, Calif. -- The Toronto Blue Jays upgraded their pitching staff Monday, acquiring starter Steve Trachsel and reliever Mark Guthrie from the Tampa Bay Devil Rays for two minor leaguers.

Steve Trachsel
Trachsel

Tampa Bay, which unloaded relievers Rick White and Jim Mecir and outfielder Bubba Trammell last week, will get touted minor league second baseman Brent Abernathy and a player to be named.

The third-place Blue Jays enter Monday's action four games behind the New York Yankees in the AL East and in fourth place in the wild-card race. Toronto's 5.45 ERA is 12th in the AL.

Trachsel, most famous for allowing Mark McGwire's record-breaking 62nd homer in 1998, was 6-10 with a 4.58 ERA in 23 starts for Tampa Bay.

Trachsel signed a $1 million, one-year deal with the Devil Rays this offseason, but could earn up to $4.5 million in performance bonuses.

Trachsel will step into a rotation led by David Wells. The Blue Jays acquired right-hander Esteban Loaiza from Texas earlier this month.

Guthrie, a left-hander, was 1-1 with a 4.50 ERA in 34 games for the Devil Rays.

Dodgers get Goodwin for Hollandsworth
LOS ANGELES -- The Colorado Rockies on Monday sent veteran outfielder Tom Goodwin to the Los Angeles Dodgers in exchange for outfielder Todd Hollandsworth and two minor league players.

Tom Goodwin
Goodwin

Colorado also received outfielder Kevin Gibbs and pitcher Randey Dorame and agreed to cash considerations for the Dodgers.

"Tom addresses the need that everyone felt we had," Dodgers general manager Kevin Malone said. "We got speed, a legitimate leadoff hitter, one of the premiere base stealers in the game right now. He's also an above-average defensive player."

"This makes us better because of the diversity it adds. We're a power-oriented team. When we're not hitting home runs, we should be able to manufacture runs. It should put some pressure on other teams when he's on the bases."

Goodwin came to the Colorado this winter, signing a three-year, $10.75 million free-agent contract. He began the season with a spark and was hitting .316 on June 30. Since then, Goodwin's batting average has dropped 45 points. In 91 games with the Rockies, Goodwin hit .271 with five home runs, 47 RBI and 39 steals.

He is expected to join Los Angeles during its current series in Pittsburgh.

"I'm pretty shocked, but not as surprised as I was a couple of years back when I got traded," Goodwin said. "That was the first time it happened in 1997. It's part of the business, not that I wanted to get traded."

"This was a good team also, we had a shot at it," he said. "We were doing well and we ran into a little lull and had a bad month. And when things like that happen, things have to change. This is kind of the product of it."

Hollandsworth, the 1996 NL Rookie of the Year, started 55 games in the outfield for the Dodgers this season. He hit .234 with eight home runs and 24 RBI. He was Los Angeles' third-round selection in the 1991 June draft.

"Todd wasn't going to re-sign here," Malone said. "He wanted to play every day. He's more of a corner guy, we've got Gary Sheffield and Shawn Green. This gives him an opportunity to shine in the last couple of months."

Gibbs, 26, has been with the Double-A San Antonio team of the Texas League, and also has played this season at single-A Vero Beach and San Bernadino. The Dodgers' sixth-round selection in June 1995, Gibbs combined to hit .301 in 27 games with two homers and 20 RBI with the three teams this year.

Dorame, 21, opened his season at Vero Beach and has pitched for San Antonio since being promoted June 6. The left-hander combined for a 10-5 record with a 3.04 ERA with both minor league clubs this season.

Cardinals trade Slocumb for Padres catcher Hernandez
ST. LOUIS -- The St. Louis Cardinals, suddenly with an abundance of relief pitchers, traded right-hander Heathcliff Slocumb to the San Diego Padres for catcher Carlos Hernandez on Monday.

Heathcliff Slocumb
Slocumb

The teams also exchanged minor leaguers.

The NL Central-leading Cardinals bolstered their bullpen during the weekend, getting righty Mike Timlin from Baltimore on Saturday and acquiring lefty Jason Christiansen from Pittsburgh on Sunday.

Slocumb, 34, was 2-3 with a 5.44 ERA this season. He led Cardinals relievers with 49 2/3 innings.

The acquisition of Hernandez, 33, fills a void left when Eli Marrero went on the disabled list with a strained left thumb on July 2. Marrero, who had been splitting time with Mike Matheny, isn't expected back until September at the earliest.

"We had three primary concerns to address before the trading deadline," St. Louis general manager Walt Jocketty said. "We feel with today's addition of Hernandez, we have accomplished what we set out to do -- improve the bullpen and add a quality catcher."

Hernandez recently came off the disabled list with a strained lower back. He is hitting .251 with two homers and 25 RBI. He missed all of last season with a ruptured left Achilles tendon.

Also as part of the deal, the Cardinals acquired infielder-outfielder Nate Tebbs and gave up outfielder Ben Johnson.

Monday's other deals

  • The San Diego Padres and Kansas City Royals swapped a pair of right-handers. The Padres get Jay Witasick in exchange for Brian Meadows. Witasick is 3-8 with a 5.94 ERA this season. Meadows is 7-8 with a 5.34 ERA.

  • The Phillies acquired right-hander John Sneed from the Blue Jays to finish last week's trade that sent outfielder Rob Ducey to Toronto. Sneed, 24, is 5-9 with a 4.54 ERA in 21 starts for the Tennessee Smokies of the Double-A Southern League. In 121 innings, he has allowed 124 hits and 56 walks while fanning 100. To make room on the roster, pitcher Paul Byrd was placed on the 60-day disabled list.

  • The Twins acquired minor league catcher Dan Ardoin from the Athletics for minor league first baseman Mario Valdez. Ardoin, 26, was batting .278 with six homers and 34 RBI for Triple-A Sacramento. Valdez, 25, was hitting .366 with 18 homers and 85 RBI for Triple-A Salt Lake.




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