Fresh start: Travis Wood has been traded to the Cubs along with two other players, with Sean Marshall joining the Reds. AP PHOTOIt was the second time in a week that the Reds gave up several prospects for pitching help. They earlier sent four players, including Edinson Volquez, to San Diego for starter Mat Latos.The 29-year-old, 200-cm Marshall was 6-6 with a 2.26 ERA last season. He had five saves. The Reds have been in talks to try to re-sign closer Francisco Cordero, who became a free agent after last season."Sean has been one of the best and most durable relievers in baseball the last couple of seasons," Reds general manager Walt Jocketty said in a statement.Wood, 24, made 35 starts for the Reds over two seasons. He finished 6-6 with a 4.84 ERA in 2011, with a stint in Triple-A after struggling early in the year.The Cubs also get 24-year-old outfielder Dave Sappelt, who batted .243 in 38 games with the Reds, and 19-year-old infield prospect Ronald Torreyes, who batted .356 in 67 games for Class-A Dayton."Twenty-four-year old left-handed starters who have already had success in the big leagues don't grow on trees," Cubs president of baseball operations Theo Epstein said. "We had to give up a great relief pitcher in Sean Marshall and someone we were proud to call a Cub, but we think to acquire Wood and the two young guys, it was worth doing."Wood made 17 starts for the Reds in 2010, going 5-4 with a 3.51 ERA. On July 10, he took a perfect game into the ninth inning against the Philadelphia Phillies before giving up a double to Carlos Ruiz, and left after finishing the ninth with the game scoreless.Wood began last season in the Reds' starting rotation, made 10 starts for Louisville, then returned to Cincinnati. He also had four relief appearances for Cincinnati."He had a little bit of a down year last year, a little bit of a sophomore slump, but we still think all the ingredients are there to make him an excellent starting pitcher in the big leagues and you tend to not be able to get guys like that after their strong rookie years," Epstein said. "But sometimes you have a chance to get them after they take a little bit of their lumps on the learning curve."Wood said he relied too heavily on his cutter last season and "lost the ability to really stick that four-seam (fastball) in there."His control was off, but he also sees a shot at redemption in Chicago."I think it's a great opportunity for me," he said. "The Reds do have a lot of depth in their rotation. . . . Hopefully, I can get to Chicago and make a difference."WASHINGTON — Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo has kept his eye on Gio Gonzalez for the last decade or so. Now, the left-hander is a member of Rizzo's starting rotation.Capping trade talks that began about a month ago, the Athletics and Nationals completed a six-player swap Friday that sends Gonzalez from Oakland to Washington, where he joins a promising pitching staff that already included right-handers Stephen Strasburg and Jordan Zimmermann."I've known him since he was in high school in the Miami area. This is a guy I followed for years. I really like the way he competes," Rizzo said on a conference call.
Sunday, December 25, 2011
Reds get Marshall; Cubs take Wood
CINCINNATI — The Cincinnati Reds acquired left-handed reliever Sean Marshall from the Chicago Cubs on Friday for young lefty starter Travis Wood and two other players.Fresh start: Travis Wood has been traded to the Cubs along with two other players, with Sean Marshall joining the Reds. AP PHOTOIt was the second time in a week that the Reds gave up several prospects for pitching help. They earlier sent four players, including Edinson Volquez, to San Diego for starter Mat Latos.The 29-year-old, 200-cm Marshall was 6-6 with a 2.26 ERA last season. He had five saves. The Reds have been in talks to try to re-sign closer Francisco Cordero, who became a free agent after last season."Sean has been one of the best and most durable relievers in baseball the last couple of seasons," Reds general manager Walt Jocketty said in a statement.Wood, 24, made 35 starts for the Reds over two seasons. He finished 6-6 with a 4.84 ERA in 2011, with a stint in Triple-A after struggling early in the year.The Cubs also get 24-year-old outfielder Dave Sappelt, who batted .243 in 38 games with the Reds, and 19-year-old infield prospect Ronald Torreyes, who batted .356 in 67 games for Class-A Dayton."Twenty-four-year old left-handed starters who have already had success in the big leagues don't grow on trees," Cubs president of baseball operations Theo Epstein said. "We had to give up a great relief pitcher in Sean Marshall and someone we were proud to call a Cub, but we think to acquire Wood and the two young guys, it was worth doing."Wood made 17 starts for the Reds in 2010, going 5-4 with a 3.51 ERA. On July 10, he took a perfect game into the ninth inning against the Philadelphia Phillies before giving up a double to Carlos Ruiz, and left after finishing the ninth with the game scoreless.Wood began last season in the Reds' starting rotation, made 10 starts for Louisville, then returned to Cincinnati. He also had four relief appearances for Cincinnati."He had a little bit of a down year last year, a little bit of a sophomore slump, but we still think all the ingredients are there to make him an excellent starting pitcher in the big leagues and you tend to not be able to get guys like that after their strong rookie years," Epstein said. "But sometimes you have a chance to get them after they take a little bit of their lumps on the learning curve."Wood said he relied too heavily on his cutter last season and "lost the ability to really stick that four-seam (fastball) in there."His control was off, but he also sees a shot at redemption in Chicago."I think it's a great opportunity for me," he said. "The Reds do have a lot of depth in their rotation. . . . Hopefully, I can get to Chicago and make a difference."WASHINGTON — Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo has kept his eye on Gio Gonzalez for the last decade or so. Now, the left-hander is a member of Rizzo's starting rotation.Capping trade talks that began about a month ago, the Athletics and Nationals completed a six-player swap Friday that sends Gonzalez from Oakland to Washington, where he joins a promising pitching staff that already included right-handers Stephen Strasburg and Jordan Zimmermann."I've known him since he was in high school in the Miami area. This is a guy I followed for years. I really like the way he competes," Rizzo said on a conference call.
Fresh start: Travis Wood has been traded to the Cubs along with two other players, with Sean Marshall joining the Reds. AP PHOTOIt was the second time in a week that the Reds gave up several prospects for pitching help. They earlier sent four players, including Edinson Volquez, to San Diego for starter Mat Latos.The 29-year-old, 200-cm Marshall was 6-6 with a 2.26 ERA last season. He had five saves. The Reds have been in talks to try to re-sign closer Francisco Cordero, who became a free agent after last season."Sean has been one of the best and most durable relievers in baseball the last couple of seasons," Reds general manager Walt Jocketty said in a statement.Wood, 24, made 35 starts for the Reds over two seasons. He finished 6-6 with a 4.84 ERA in 2011, with a stint in Triple-A after struggling early in the year.The Cubs also get 24-year-old outfielder Dave Sappelt, who batted .243 in 38 games with the Reds, and 19-year-old infield prospect Ronald Torreyes, who batted .356 in 67 games for Class-A Dayton."Twenty-four-year old left-handed starters who have already had success in the big leagues don't grow on trees," Cubs president of baseball operations Theo Epstein said. "We had to give up a great relief pitcher in Sean Marshall and someone we were proud to call a Cub, but we think to acquire Wood and the two young guys, it was worth doing."Wood made 17 starts for the Reds in 2010, going 5-4 with a 3.51 ERA. On July 10, he took a perfect game into the ninth inning against the Philadelphia Phillies before giving up a double to Carlos Ruiz, and left after finishing the ninth with the game scoreless.Wood began last season in the Reds' starting rotation, made 10 starts for Louisville, then returned to Cincinnati. He also had four relief appearances for Cincinnati."He had a little bit of a down year last year, a little bit of a sophomore slump, but we still think all the ingredients are there to make him an excellent starting pitcher in the big leagues and you tend to not be able to get guys like that after their strong rookie years," Epstein said. "But sometimes you have a chance to get them after they take a little bit of their lumps on the learning curve."Wood said he relied too heavily on his cutter last season and "lost the ability to really stick that four-seam (fastball) in there."His control was off, but he also sees a shot at redemption in Chicago."I think it's a great opportunity for me," he said. "The Reds do have a lot of depth in their rotation. . . . Hopefully, I can get to Chicago and make a difference."WASHINGTON — Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo has kept his eye on Gio Gonzalez for the last decade or so. Now, the left-hander is a member of Rizzo's starting rotation.Capping trade talks that began about a month ago, the Athletics and Nationals completed a six-player swap Friday that sends Gonzalez from Oakland to Washington, where he joins a promising pitching staff that already included right-handers Stephen Strasburg and Jordan Zimmermann."I've known him since he was in high school in the Miami area. This is a guy I followed for years. I really like the way he competes," Rizzo said on a conference call.
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