Rockies trade Wilson, Kennedy
By Troy E. Renck
Denver Post Staff Writer
With a flurry of phone calls, the Rockies reshaped their roster today, trading center fielder Preston Wilson and opening day starter Joe Kennedy.
The Rockies shipped Wilson to the Washington Nationals for pitcher Zach Day and triple-A outfielder J.J. Davis, a player to be named or cash considerations.
Three hours later, they completed a four-player swap with the Oakland A's, acquiring outfielder Eric Byrnes and highly-regarded minor league infielder Omar Quintanilla in exchange for Kennedy and reliever Jay Witasick.
“Most teams took an all-star break,'' Rockies general manager Dan O'Dowd said. “Obviously we didn't.''
Moving Wilson has been a priority since he recovered from multiple knee surgeries, restoring his value. Wilson said he wanted to go to a contender and waived his no-trade clause Wednesday afternoon when the Rockies pulled their request for him to defer the $3.32 million they will pay him.
The trade made sense on multiple fronts for the Rockies. Not only did they save $2 million on a player they would not have re-signed as a free agent, but they received a capable 27-year-old pitcher in Day.
Day, who has been on the disabled list with a hairline fracture in his pitching hand, will initially work out of the bullpen, replacing the previously demoted Kennedy.
A sinkerballer, Day is 19-21 with a career 4.31 ERA, winning nine games in 2003. He fell out of favor with Washington manager Frank Robinson, leaving him on the trading block for months.
“He's a guy I have liked all along. He has a tremendous groundball-flyball ratio similar to Aaron Cook,'' O'Dowd said. “We feel he has a chance to be a quality starter for us.''
Kennedy filled that role last year, compiling the lowest qualifying ERA (3.66) in franchise history. He struggled this season and was exiled to the relief corps after going 4-8 with a 7.04 ERA. To facilitate the deal and land Quintanilla, an interesting prospect who will be played second and shortstop in Triple-A, the Rockies included Witasick, arguably their best reliever.
“When they told me I was going to the bullpen, I was hoping that something would go down,'' Kennedy said. “This is a nice surprise.''
Whether Byrnes stays bears watching. Within moments of acquiring him, teams began calling the Rockies, wanting to trade. Byrnes, a high-energy player often seen performing fully outstretched dives on the highlights, will play a corner position with Brad Hawpe going on the disabled list - Ryan Spilborghs will take his roster spot -- and Matt Holliday not expected to return until Monday.
“The A's made a decision and I can't blame them a bit,'' Byrnes told Oakland reporters after a workout Wednesday night. “I have never played in (Denver), but I am going in with a smile on my face, looking forward to helping them win some games.''
http://www.denverpost.com/rockies/ci_2858567
By Troy E. Renck
Denver Post Staff Writer
With a flurry of phone calls, the Rockies reshaped their roster today, trading center fielder Preston Wilson and opening day starter Joe Kennedy.
The Rockies shipped Wilson to the Washington Nationals for pitcher Zach Day and triple-A outfielder J.J. Davis, a player to be named or cash considerations.
Three hours later, they completed a four-player swap with the Oakland A's, acquiring outfielder Eric Byrnes and highly-regarded minor league infielder Omar Quintanilla in exchange for Kennedy and reliever Jay Witasick.
“Most teams took an all-star break,'' Rockies general manager Dan O'Dowd said. “Obviously we didn't.''
Moving Wilson has been a priority since he recovered from multiple knee surgeries, restoring his value. Wilson said he wanted to go to a contender and waived his no-trade clause Wednesday afternoon when the Rockies pulled their request for him to defer the $3.32 million they will pay him.
The trade made sense on multiple fronts for the Rockies. Not only did they save $2 million on a player they would not have re-signed as a free agent, but they received a capable 27-year-old pitcher in Day.
Day, who has been on the disabled list with a hairline fracture in his pitching hand, will initially work out of the bullpen, replacing the previously demoted Kennedy.
A sinkerballer, Day is 19-21 with a career 4.31 ERA, winning nine games in 2003. He fell out of favor with Washington manager Frank Robinson, leaving him on the trading block for months.
“He's a guy I have liked all along. He has a tremendous groundball-flyball ratio similar to Aaron Cook,'' O'Dowd said. “We feel he has a chance to be a quality starter for us.''
Kennedy filled that role last year, compiling the lowest qualifying ERA (3.66) in franchise history. He struggled this season and was exiled to the relief corps after going 4-8 with a 7.04 ERA. To facilitate the deal and land Quintanilla, an interesting prospect who will be played second and shortstop in Triple-A, the Rockies included Witasick, arguably their best reliever.
“When they told me I was going to the bullpen, I was hoping that something would go down,'' Kennedy said. “This is a nice surprise.''
Whether Byrnes stays bears watching. Within moments of acquiring him, teams began calling the Rockies, wanting to trade. Byrnes, a high-energy player often seen performing fully outstretched dives on the highlights, will play a corner position with Brad Hawpe going on the disabled list - Ryan Spilborghs will take his roster spot -- and Matt Holliday not expected to return until Monday.
“The A's made a decision and I can't blame them a bit,'' Byrnes told Oakland reporters after a workout Wednesday night. “I have never played in (Denver), but I am going in with a smile on my face, looking forward to helping them win some games.''
http://www.denverpost.com/rockies/ci_2858567
