Rays remain unsure about Trachsel deal

By MARC TOPKIN

© St. Petersburg Times, published July 28, 2000

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Three more teams filled their needs and three more starting pitchers were taken off the market when the Diamondbacks got Curt Schilling, the Dodgers reacquired Ismael Valdes and the Red Sox traded for Rolando Arrojo.

But none of those transaction will affect the Devil Rays' decision on whether to trade Steve Trachsel.

"I don't think it affects Steve's situation at all," general manager Chuck LaMar said Thursday night. "We've had interest in Steve over the last month, and the decisions will be if we want to move him or let him finish out the year, and what we can get for him. The teams that had interest in him still have interest."

LaMar would not identify those teams, but based on various reports, they could include the Blue Jays, Reds, Mets, Yankees and Indians.

Trachsel, who signed for a $1-million base salary, soon will start earning incentive bonuses for starts and innings pitched that could total another $4.5-million.

Though the Rays could save some, or all, of that money by trading him, LaMar said that would not be motivation for a deal.

"I know there are some financial concerns, and if we move him, we could save some money. But we also want to have as good a second half as we possibly can, and Steve can help us do that," LaMar said. "We're not going to make a deal strictly for financial reasons."

LaMar said there continues to be "extensive discussions" about members of the bullpen. "We're not really shopping of these players," LaMar said. "There has been so much interest, if we think we can get our hands on players that make us better, we have to listen. And we definitely will listen."

CAN YOU PUT THE GAME ON?: Manager Larry Rothschild planned to spend the second and final night of his suspension watching the game on television. But he wasn't sure where, given that there aren't many places near Kauffman Stadium. "There's not much here," Rothschild said. "But I have a car."

HIT MAN: Rothschild said he was going to find a way to get hot-hitting rookie Steve Cox into the lineup and he has -- as the almost-regular rightfielder. "I think he's earned the right to play rightfield," Rothschild said. "I'm not going to declare him the everyday rightfielder, but he's pretty close to approaching it."

Cox went into Thursday's game hitting .312, tops among American League rookies. Even better for the Rays, he gives the Rays a much-needed additional left-handed bat.

It's a pretty good situation for a 25-year-old natural first baseman still earning to play the outfield. "I think he's adequate," Rothschild said. "He's worked at it and he's gotten better. He's going to catch the balls he gets to and he's got a good enough throwing arm. That's all I can expect, that he can defense a little bit. I don't expect a great rightfielder out there."

TRYING BRYAN: Bryan Rekar has pitched well but has only one win in his past seven starts. Rothschild said that doesn't necessarily reflect a setback, but that more victories wouldn't hurt.

"Starting pitchers are defined by wins and losses, and at some point you transcend that mediocrity and turn those into wins," he said. "You can't control all the things, but if everything has to go right for you to win games you might be able to run off a streak or two but you're not going to be a consistent major-league pitcher. I think he's made progress, and in a lot of cases with pitchers you have to get over the hump -- when you get the lead you hold the lead, and you hold it until late in the game if not finishing the game."

MEDICAL REPORT: Dave Eiland, out since late May with a hip injury, is likely to resume his minor-league rehab assignment within the next several days. ... Tony Saunders is working out in St. Petersburg, but Rothschild said there has been no date set for his first minor-league appearance.

© St. Petersburg Times. All rights reserved.

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