Tuesday, November 25, 2003

Teams exchange first basemen in trade

 

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Associated Press

 

CHICAGO -- The World Series champion Florida Marlins cut some payoll Tuesday, sending Gold Glove first baseman Derrek Lee to the Chicago Cubs for first baseman Hee Seop Choi and a minor league player to be named.

 

 

Lee, 28, was arbitration eligible after collecting $4.25 million last season. As the third highest-paid player on the team, he hit .271 with 31 homers and 92 RBI while committing only five errors in winning his first Gold Glove.

 

Lee was at his best when it counted most. He batted .341 with five home runs and 20 RBI in September, then had 15 hits and eight RBI in the playoffs.

 

Among Lee's big hits was a game-tying two-run double off Chicago's Mark Prior in Game 6 of the NL Championship Series. The Marlins won games 6 and 7 before defeating the New York Yankees in the World Series.

 

Lee was rumored to be on the trading block. His expected destination was Baltimore, but the sides could not agree on a contract this week and ceased talks.

 

While the Marlins are not expected to purge their roster, they do have key free agents in catcher Ivan Rodriguez, second baseman Luis Castillo and closer Ugueth Urbina.

 

In addition, third baseman Mike Lowell is arbitration eligible.

I was expecting a lot more for Derek Lee. Let's see who the minor leaguer is before I label this deal a failure. Guzman? Beltran?

This is more a payroll cutting move than an exchange of first basemen. But it is not a bad move by the Marlins. It allows Conine to move to 1B, Cabrera to play LF and Lowell to be at 3B every game. McKeon is not fond of changing players day by day.

 

Conine has 1 year left on his contract, and it gives Choi time to recover from his collison this past summer, from which he probably has had a difficult time recovering.

 

And if Choi is not the answer in 2005, it will be someone else...or maybe Conine will stay...but that is after the 2004 season.

 

Now, I would like to see a contract offer extended to Lowell for 4 or 5 years. In that way, after the 2004 season they only have to figure out a solution to one of the corner infield positions, not both.

 

Paulette3028

I was expecting a lot more for Derek Lee. Let's see who the minor leaguer is before I label this deal a failure. Guzman? Beltran?

yawn

 

what do you know... he hates the deal

This is more a payroll cutting move than an exchange of first basemen. But it is not a bad move by the Marlins. It allows Conine to move to 1B, Cabrera to play LF and Lowell to be at 3B every game. McKeon is not fond of changing players day by day.

um Choi is now the 1B