Lee is now a ranger

[Iceodu921]

ARLINGTON, Texas -- The Texas Rangers acquired Carlos Lee from the Milwaukee Brewers, who traded their All-Star outfielder on Friday after failing to sign him to a contract extension.

Carlos Lee
Left Field
Milwaukee Brewers

Profile
2006 SEASON STATISTICS
GM HR RBI R OBP AVG
102 28 81 60 .347 .286

"It became very evident that we weren't going to be able to keep Carlos at the end of the season," Brewers general manager Doug Melvin said. "We gave it our best shot and, at that point, we started entertaining the offers from a number of clubs."

The Brewers got reliever Francisco Cordero and outfielders Kevin Mench and Laynce Nix from the Rangers. Melvin acquired all of those players in Texas when he was the GM there.

Melvin said he talked to six teams about Lee but settled on Texas because of the "major league-ready" players involved and his familiarity with them.

It was the first major deal completed in the days leading up to Monday's non-waiver trade deadline. Because of his potential free-agent status, Lee was considered one of the biggest trade targets.

The deal also included the exchange of minor-leaguers, outfielder Nelson Cruz to Texas and left-hander Julian Cordero -- no relation to Francisco -- to Milwaukee.

Lee was hitting .286 with 28 home runs and 81 RBI with Milwaukee. It is his fifth straight season with at least 25 homers, and he is a .284 career hitter over eight seasons with the Chicago White Sox (1999-2004) and the Brewers (2005-06).

Milwaukee reportedly offered a four-year extension worth $48 million during talks Thursday with Lee's agent, Adam Katz.

"Because they never countered to us and said there was a large gap, we don't know what it was they were looking for," Melvin said. "It was probably the years, because the dollars we offered were very significant to any deal we've ever offered before."

The Rangers (51-51) would still like to add another starting pitcher but couldn't pass up the chance to add Lee as they strive for their first playoff appearance since 1999. Texas went into Friday's game against Kansas City in third place in the AL West but only two games behind division-leading Oakland.

Rangers GM Jon Daniels and Buck Showalter were scheduled to address the trade before Friday night's home game against the Royals. The team said Lee wouldn't speak to reporters before the game because of travel issues but didn't indicate if he would play.

Cordero was the Rangers' closer until he set a major-league record with five blown saves in April and was replaced in that role by Akinori Otsuka. In his last appearance for Texas, the right-hander allowed four runs in the eighth inning against the New York Yankees on Wednesday night. The right-hander was 7-4 with six saves and a 4.81 ERA in 49 appearances.

Mench is hitting .284 with 12 home runs and 50 RBI and was 16-for-36 (.444) in his last 10 games for the Rangers. Earlier this season, Mench set a club record with home runs in seven straight games, one short of the major-league record but the most by a right-handed hitter.

Nix, who has played 240 major-league games for Texas over the past four seasons, has been in the minor leagues since batting .094 (3-for-32) in nine games in April.

Melvin said in recent weeks that the team was leaning toward keeping Lee and trying to sign him as a free agent -- something they could still do in the offseason -- but would listen if the right offer came along.

Trading Lee also made sense for the budget-conscious Brewers because they have several highly regarded young outfield prospects -- although Cruz was considered the most promising.

The Brewers lost the last two games of a three-game home series against Pittsburgh earlier this week and entered play Friday six games out of the National League wild card. They were tied with Houston in the wild-card standings with five teams ahead of them.

Cruz was the Brewers' minor-league player of the year last season. He has spent this season at Triple-A Nashville, where he hit .302 with 22 doubles, 20 home runs, 73 RBI and 17 stolen bases in 104 games.

Great deal for Texas I know hittings not their major concern but alot of their stars havent been good this yr and Lee's an amazing hitter and playing in Texas will only help him.

[Nam Dekan]

sad to see him go but the Brewers wouldn't have been able to resign him anyway since he turned down their offer of 48 million over 4 years

but at least they got Mench and Nix. Plus they got Hart who should be ready soon.

Hopefully Cordero will help their bullpen

[the Prince]

cordero is awful

[Old Soul]

This was a really good trade for Texas IMO especially if he re-signs.

[the Prince]

lets not talk about this trade

[P-nut]

to be honest with you...i was surprised when it scrolled across the bottom of my tv on espn...

[Iceodu921]

Lee is a player that just about everyteam in baseball will go after in the off season. Texas better resign him fast.

[Nam Dekan]

Originally Posted by the Prince

cordero is awful

it's not like the Milwaukee bullpen is outstanding itself right now..Hopefully the Brewers do something in the offseason now and hopefully Cory Hart pans out..

[the Prince]

rumor is the brewers are acquiring david bell for class a pitcher wilfred liriano

lee had no intention of signing with the brewers so they did get a bunch of guys they can work with and maybe cordero will turn it around. whenever i see him pitching though there are runners on base

[the Prince]

actually found the article now

Several hours after trading away All-Star slugger Carlos Lee, the Milwaukee Brewers made another move Friday, acquiring third baseman David Bell from the Philadelphia Phillies for minor league righthander Wilfrido Laureano.

[Nam Dekan]

Originally Posted by the Prince

rumor is the brewers are acquiring david bell for class a pitcher wilfred liriano

lee had no intention of signing with the brewers so they did get a bunch of guys they can work with and maybe cordero will turn it around. whenever i see him pitching though there are runners on base

Yeah that's why the trade didn't upset me. He turned down the offer and the Brewers werent going any higher..At least they got something instead of having him leave and just be ass out..

I haven't followed Bell in awhile, but isn't he a small upgrade over Koskie?

[the Prince]

bell is a significant upgrade defensively. offensively he doesnt do much other than put the ball in play. koskie has more pop to his bat

[Iceodu921]

koskie>bell

[StylisticS]

It may can help us if Lee re-signs with the Rangers in the longrun. But in the short run, it won't do shit because we still have no pitching. We haven't had that art for 40 years.