Carlos Lee Traded to Texas

July 28, 2006 @ 16:00:00

By Bryce McRae
Edited by Ryan Dodson

Carlos Lee traded to Rangers

Milwaukee Brewers general manager Doug Melvin had hinted he would be open to offers for soon-to-be free agent outfielder Carlos Lee. He asked teams to be ready with deals in case the Brewers fell too far out of the pennant race. Entering games Friday, July 28, the Brewers sat 10.5 games back in the National League Central and just six games back in the Wild Card standings, and while the Brewers weren't out of any races, Melvin received a deal that he felt would help the team now and in the future. The Brewers acquired outfielder Kevin Mench and Laynce Nix to go along with reliever Francisco Cordero while the Rangers acquired Lee, outfielder Nelson Cruz and a player to be named later.

Lee is obviously the key to this deal for the Rangers as he brings another big power-hitting presence to the lineup and should provide good cover for first baseman Mark Teixeira. He is hitting .286, with 28 home runs and 81 RBI in 102 games this season. Lee should slot into the left field spot and give the team some stability to a position they have used three different players at in their past three games. Outfielders Brad Wilkerson and Jerry Hairston Jr. should see less playing time at this spot. One caveat for those fantasy owners of Lee, there is a gap between the talent levels of the American League and National League, and Lee could find it harder in the new league. He will also be facing pitchers he has never seen before. Cruz is a good prospect and was hitting .299, with 19 home runs, 71 RBI and 17 steals this season. The Brewers viewed him as someone who might be a long-term replacement for Lee.

The key to the deal for the Brewers was being able to pick up young talent that is also able to play now. Mench has stated his desire to be an everyday player, and with a .284 average, 12 home runs and 50 RBI in 87 games he has the stats to back up his claims. Nix was currently at the Rangers Triple-A Oklahoma affiliate but he began the season in the majors. In nine games this season, he was hitting just .094 with four RBI. Cordero could end up being the most important piece of the puzzle for the Brewers. Brewers reliever Derrick Turnbow blew his eighth save of the year Thursday, July 20, and has been replaced as the team's closer by Dan Kolb. Cordero started out the season as the Rangers closer, but after blowing five of eight save opportunities, he was demoted. In 2004, Cordero racked up 49 saves, and the following year he had 37. It might be a bit much for him to put up similar numbers, but if he can solidify the bullpen, the Brewers could come from this deal with two good positions rather than one great position.

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Bryce McRae
Bryce McRae is a Managing Editor with KFFL and has been involved in fantasy sports since 1999. He joined KFFL as a volunteer writer in March 2005 before becoming a Hot off the Wire Analyst in March 2006. He began working in his current capacity in September 2008. His work has appeared on fantasy sports sites such as Yahoo! and CBS Sportsline as well as in print. He graduated from the University of British Columbia in 2008 with a B.A. in History and U.S. Studies.

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