Winn eager to play for a winner

Rays All-Star fills gaping hole in left for M's.

By KEVIN KELLY, Times Staff Writer
© St. Petersburg Times
published October 29, 2002

ST. PETERSBURG -- The Mariners finally got the leftfielder they've coveted for so long.

All it cost was a minor-league infielder and a manager who helped turn their franchise into a contender.

Three months after Randy Winn was linked to the Mariners in trade deadline rumors, the Devil Rays traded their All-Star outfielder for the rights to negotiate with Lou Piniella and middle infield prospect Antonio Perez.

"I'm excited," Winn said. "There were a lot of rumors surrounding it, but it's finally nice to know what's going to happen."

Winn, who batted .298 with 14 homers, 27 stolen bases and 75 RBIs as the Rays' lone All-Star this season, joins the likes of Manny Sanguillen and Bill Denehy as players traded as compensation for a manager.

He also joins a Mariners club that has won 209 games the past two seasons and an outfield that includes Mike Cameron and 2001 American League Rookie of the Year and MVP Ichiro Suzuki.

"Coming to the park every day with a team that has the talent to (contend)," Winn said, "that's very exciting and I think that's the opportunity that every player looks for."

Winn's departure likely clears the way for outfield prospect Rocco Baldelli to make the team out of spring training next season.

The Rays' first-round pick in 2000, Baldelli hit .331 with 28 doubles, 19 home runs, 71 RBIs and 25 steals in 117 games as he moved from Class A Bakersfield to Double-A Orlando to Triple-A Durham last season and was named Baseball America's minor-league player of the year.

General manager Chuck LaMar did not mention Baldelli specifically, but he hinted that he had an idea who would be the starting centerfielder next season and that that player finished the season at Durham.

Perez could be a year or two from helping the Rays.

But he gives the club some depth in the middle infield. The shortstop/second baseman batted .258 in 72 games for Double-A San Antonio this season.

The 22-year-old was signed by the Reds in 1998 and was traded to the Mariners in the February 2000 deal that sent Ken Griffey to Cincinnati.

"He's an athletic young man with a high ceiling," Piniella said. "I think we've got to get him (to be) a little more patient at home plate. He's got a tendency to try to overdo with the bat. But he's got good hands, outstanding speed, a good throwing arm and he's got some power.

"The ball jumps off his bat very well. When he puts it together this young man should be able to play at the big-league level and play quite well."