Rangers trade Urbina - Dallas-Mavs.com Forums

TheLou · 07-11-2003, 07:30 PM

The Rangers traded Urbina to the Marlins today. We got 3 prospects, including the No1 overall pick from the 2000 draft, however hes a first baseman. Anyways, heres the link to the news story.

Rangers Trade Urbina

aexchange · 07-11-2003, 08:03 PM

sounds good to me. i like the pitcher's stats. over a 2:1 strikeout to walk ratio.

Mandyahl · 07-11-2003, 10:43 PM

well, we knew it was coming. sounds like we got a pretty good deal for him.

ames7 · 07-11-2003, 11:19 PM

I think it's a good move. The prospects sound good. We'll be helped in the long-term & we weren't going to win much w/him anyway.

Drbio · 07-11-2003, 11:28 PM

We absolutely raped the Marlins on this deal. Even if we picked up the rest of Urbinas salary this was a great deal.

ocelot_ark · 07-12-2003, 04:39 PM

I don't understand picking up another first baseman...

ames7 · 07-12-2003, 10:50 PM

Going for best players available, I guess. First overall pick sounds nice. Could be trait bait later?

ocelot_ark · 07-13-2003, 03:01 AM

Good point, ames.

MFFL · 07-13-2003, 10:23 AM

Even the Florida papers say that they overpaid
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Posted on Sat, Jul. 12, 2003

Marlins upgrade with Urbina
AL saves leader comes at cost of three prospects
By CLARK SPENCER
cspencer@herald.com

MONTREAL - The Marlins aren't playing for next year or the one after that. They're playing for the present, underscoring those intentions Friday by trading three top minor-league prospects to the Texas Rangers for American League saves leader Ugueth Urbina.

''We wanted to bring in a guy who could really help us right now, a high-impact guy,'' said Marlins general manager Larry Beinfest, who had been working the phones for more than a week in search of a quality reliever.

Beinfest said Urbina, 29, will be used in a set-up role for closer Braden Looper. Urbina, a hard-throwing right-hander, converted 26 of 30 save chances for Texas this season and has 200 saves in nine major-league seasons.

''Urbina we did identify as one of the key guys that could really help us,'' Beinfest said. ``He's a winner and very intense, and he'll take the ball any day at any time.''

Said manager Jack McKeon: ``No question it's big. Makes us a [heck] of a lot stronger. I think this shows the fans and players [management is] in this thing, they believe in this club. It shows people we're not tearing this club apart.''

But the bullpen upgrade didn't come cheap. The Marlins gave up first baseman Adrián González, outfielder Will Smith and left-handed pitcher Ryan Snare.

González was the Marlins' first-round pick in the 2000 draft and was ranked by Baseball America as the third-best prospect in the organization. Smith was ranked by the publication as the organization's ninth-best prospect, while Snare was No. 11.

''We gave up some quality,'' Beinfest said. ``But we want to win now. In Adrián, we thought we were dealing in an area of strength.''

The Marlins have high hopes for prospect Jason Stokes, another first baseman in their farm system.

Said McKeon: ``If you want something, you've got to overpay, and evidently we overpaid. But if it proves to be a plus . . .

'The [Marlins players] couldn't believe it when they heard it. It's a case where they're saying, `Hey, this is a good sign. Management wants to help us.' ''

McKeon said third-base coach Ozzie Guillén talked to Urbina -- a fellow Venezuelan -- on the phone Friday and that the veteran reliever was agreeable about his new set-up role.

''He said he'd do anything to help us,'' McKeon said.

Major-league sources said the Rangers -- who sent an undisclosed amount of cash to Florida in the deal -- will pick up all but $600,000 of the approximately $2 million left on Urbina's contract this season, after which he can become a free agent. He is expected to join the Marlins today.

The Marlins bullpen ranks 13th in the National League in ERA and is without Tim Spooneybarger, who is on the disabled list with a sprained right elbow.

''With Ugie coming on board, it's going to be tough against the back end of our bullpen now,'' Beinfest said. ``We didn't want to strengthen it. We wanted to fortify it.''

Urbina throws his fastball in the 93 to 94 mph range and has a solid changeup to go with a breaking ball.

To make room for Urbina, the Marlins outrighted right-handed reliever Allen Levrault.

MFFL · 07-13-2003, 10:28 AM

Deal nets Rangers' Urbina

By Mike Berardino
Staff Writer
Posted July 12 2003

Convinced they have a legitimate shot at making the playoffs for the first time in six years, the Marlins mortgaged a piece of their future to strengthen a mediocre bullpen.

They shipped three of their top 11 prospects to the Texas Rangers on Friday for veteran reliever Ugueth Urbina, who leads the American League with 26 saves in 30 chances.

Double-A first baseman Adrian Gonzalez, a former No. 1 overall draft choice who received a $3 million signing bonus, highlighted the Marlins' trade package.

According to sources, the Rangers will pick up all but about $550,000 of the $2.35 million that remains on Urbina's one-year contract. That includes a $500,000 deferred signing bonus for the Venezuelan right-hander.

"We were looking to fortify that back end of the bullpen, and we wanted to bring in a guy who could really help us right now, a high-impact guy," Marlins General Manager Larry Beinfest said. "He's a winner and very intense and takes the ball any day at any time. We gave up some quality. We want to win now."

Braden Looper remains the Marlins' closer for now with Urbina, who has a home in Aventura, expected to assume the setup role. Tim Spooneybarger's sprained elbow ligament and the ineffectiveness of Vladimir Nunez, now at Triple-A Albuquerque, caused the vacancy.

Friday's deal came on the first anniversary of the trades that shipped off Cliff Floyd (Montreal) and Ryan Dempster (Cincinnati). Those deals, generally perceived as cost-cutting measures that killed any playoff hopes, were completed with the Marlins 6½ games off the wild-card pace.

Before Friday's game at Montreal, the Marlins were tied for fifth in the National League wild-card standings, 4½ games behind Philadelphia and Arizona.

Although Marlins starters ranked fifth in the league with a 3.98 ERA and a 35-32 record, their bullpen ranked 13th at 4.62. Marlins relievers had blown 9 of 26 save chances and posted a 12-13 record.

Two other Double-A players, outfielder Will Smith and left-hander Ryan Snare, rounded out the deal. According to Baseball America, Gonzalez entered the season as the Marlins' third-best prospect -- one spot ahead of Dontrelle Willis -- while Smith (No. 9) and Snare (11) were highly regarded.

"This is a huge deal for us," said Rangers GM John Hart, who recently shipped off outfielders Carl Everett and Ruben Sierra to slash payroll.

The Marlins were willing to use Gonzalez in a package to pry Armando Benitez from the New York Mets, but that process was moving too slowly for the Marlins. Discussions with the Rangers intensified Thursday, and by Friday afternoon the Marlins were analyzing Urbina's medical history.

Several other teams, mostly notably the Atlanta Braves and New York Yankees, had trade interest in Urbina.

At 29, Urbina is in the prime of his career. Although he has a 0-4 record and 4.19 ERA, his fastball sits in the 93-95 mph range, and he has touched 98 mph this year.

Left-handed batters are hitting .192 against him this year, mainly because of what one major league scout termed "a good splitter and an overpowering slider." He has allowed a .275 average to right-handed batters, 91 points higher than his career mark.

In 10 career outings at Pro Player, Urbina is 4 for 4 in save chances with a 2.08 ERA. His career ERA is 17 percent lower after the All-Star break (3.10) than before (3.75).