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Rays trim payroll, make room for top prospect Toby Hall by dealing pitcher, catcher to the NL West leaders.
By MARC TOPKIN
© St. Petersburg Times, published July 26, 2001
ANAHEIM, Calif. -- The Rays knew Albie Lopez was their most tradeable player, and they were expecting up to a half-dozen offers by Tuesday's non-waiver trade deadline.
But when they got a chance late Wednesday to open a spot for catching prospect Toby Hall by including Mike DiFelice in the package, and to receive an additional $750,000 for a net savings of about $2-million, they went ahead and did the deal with Arizona.
In return for the two original Rays, Tampa Bay receives left-handed pitcher Nick Bierbrodt, a former No. 1 draft pick, and outfielder Jason Conti.
"We were looking to get younger and we were looking to move salary, and that's what we did," general manager Chuck LaMar said. "We felt with the players involved and with the money we were moving and getting back, we felt this was the right time to make the move."
Bierbrodt, 23, will join the Rays and is scheduled to start Saturday in Texas. He was Arizona's first first-round pick in 1996, and he has pitched at Double A (2-1, 1.37 in four starts), Triple A (2-1, 2.59 in five starts) and in the majors (2-2, 8.22 ERA) this season.
"It's a good situation for me career-wise," Bierbrodt said in Arizona. "I can go out and pitch (every five days). They're young and they're looking to build, and hopefully I can help them."
Conti, 26, will go first to Triple-A Durham but is expected eventually to be a fourth or fifth outfielder at the big-league level. He hit .317 with 6 homers and 37 RBI in 77 games for Triple-A Tucson and played in five games for the D'backs.
In essence, the Rays also add Hall as part of the deal. Hall, who had an International League-leading .335 average along with 18 home runs and 71 RBI, will join the Rays today and will do "a lot" of the catching, according to manager Hal McRae.
"I can't pick a 'key' to the deal," LaMar said. "Getting Toby Hall an opportunity to play was critical to us, and definitely a key to moving Mike DiFelice. Getting our hands on a young left-handed major-league pitcher, whether he ends up in the bullpen or as a starter, is a key to the deal. And the finances are also a key to the deal."
The Rays come out about $2-million ahead in the transaction. They save the approximate $1.006-million in salary they would have paid Lopez, who will be a free agent after the season, and about $283,750 to DiFelice, and they get about $750,000 cash.
"Whether we would have made the moves or not under a different financial climate is up for speculation," LaMar said. "Given the parameters we are in right now, to get younger and less expensive, we thought it was a solid trade under those circumstances."
Lopez and DiFelice both were selected in the November 1997 expansion draft and have been with the Rays from the start. As they rushed to catch a late-night flight to Phoenix, both thanked the Rays for their original opportunity and were looking ahead to another, trying to win the NL West title.
Especially Lopez, who was born, raised and still lives in Arizona.
"I'm happy," Lopez said. "I'm going home. I'm going home to play. And it's a first-place team. I'm happy to go to a contender."
LaMar had been trying to trade either DiFelice or John Flaherty and said there wasn't much interest in either.
Still, DiFelice said he wasn't totally surprised by the news.
"I've been a Devil Ray since the inception and my home is in Florida, so right now I'm in the middle as far as feelings go," DiFelice said. "You try to take an opportunity if you get one, and that's what I'm going to do."
LaMar said he will continue trade discussions involving the Rays' other veterans, including Fred McGriff.