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MILWAUKEE -- Looking for an offensive upgrade at catcher and unable to keep pace with the free agent spending frenzy, the Brewers swung a six-player trade with the Arizona Diamondbacks on Saturday and added three players likely to play major roles with the big-league club.Milwaukee received former All-Star catcher Johnny Estrada, right-handed starter Claudio Vargas and right-handed reliever Greg Aquino for steady left-handed starter Doug Davis and a pair of prospects, lefty Dana Eveland and outfielder David Krynzel."I look at this as a real good baseball trade, because it seems to help both teams," Brewers general manager Doug Melvin said. "They needed some left-handed pitching and we needed a catcher. Once it became clear that we would be able to get Vargas and Aquino in the deal, it made a lot of sense to pursue it."The centerpiece of the trade from Milwaukee's perspective is the 30-year-old Estrada, who has batted better than .300 with at least 70 RBIs in two of his three seasons as a starting catcher, first with Atlanta and then Arizona.Estrada will bump 37-year-old Damian Miller, who battled a myriad of injuries in 2006, to a reserve role. Miller exercised a player option and will be in the final year of his contract in 2007. The Brewers likely will keep Mike Rivera and newly-acquired JD Closser for depth at Triple-A."I'm excited. It's an opportunity for me and I'm looking forward to helping turn them into a winning team," Estrada said. "It's exciting to be a part of building a winner."Vargas, 28, was 12-10 with a 4.83 ERA for the D-backs last season and established career bests in wins (12), starts (30), innings (167 2/3) and strikeouts (123). He is three years younger but not as established as Davis, who made at least 34 starts and pitched at least 200 innings in each of the last three full seasons in Milwaukee.Aquino will turn 29 in January and gives the Brewers another late-inning option in front of closer Francisco Cordero. Originally signed by the D-backs as a 16-year-old shortstop in 1995, Aquino has a 4.93 ERA in 111 relief appearances over the last three seasons. He served as Arizona's closer during the second half of that club's 2004 campaign.
Awww the offseason...the one and only time every friggin player believes they are helping out building a winner (unless your the Devil Rays, Orioles, CUBS and Royals).
Quote from: "Nat of the LivingDead"Awww the offseason...the one and only time every friggin player believes they are helping out building a winner (unless your the Devil Rays, Orioles, CUBS and Royals).Fixed that for you.
