ARLINGTON, Texas -- Texas Rangers general manager John Hart
believed he got enough in a six-player trade Monday with the
Oakland Athletics to part with top prospect Carlos Pena.
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Prospect analysis
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Pena: An exceptional prospect, probably the best first-base prospect in the
game today. Power, patience, defense ... he offers it all. One of just four
players to get a Grade A in the "2002 Minor League Scouting Notebook."
Ramos: A classic finesse lefty, who succeeds despite lacking an exceptional
fastball. Should develop into a solid number two or three starter. Earned
Grade B+ in the Minor League Scouting Notebook.
Hart: Power hitter, but posted just mediocre numbers in his first Triple-A
exposure last year. Has John Jaha-type upside.
Laird: Good defensive catcher, but hit just .255 in the California League
with little power.
--John Sickels
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The A's got Pena, a potential replacement at first base for
former AL MVP Jason Giambi, and left-handed reliever Mike Venafro.
The Rangers took four minor leaguers, including left-handed pitcher
Mario Ramos -- who will have a chance to make the Texas rotation --
and Jason Hart, like Pena a prospect at first base.
Texas also got catcher Gerald Laird and outfielder Ryan Ludwick.
"Looking at the players we gave up for the players we got in
return, he was a good one to pull out of our pocket and move on,"
John Hart said of Pena. "To be able to bring in four players with
a certain amount of quality and depth at needs, it was a deal that
made too much sense."
Ramos was Oakland's minor league player of the year after going
16-4 with a 3.10 ERA in 28 starts last season at Double-A Midland
and Triple-A Sacramento. The 24-year-old Hart was Oakland's
sixth-round pick in the June 1999 amateur draft.
All of the minor leaguers given up by Oakland were drafted by
former As scouting director Grady Fuson, now Texas' assistant GM
for scouting and player development. After being interviewed as a
GM candidate, Fuson was hired by the Rangers the same day as Hart.
Fuson likens Ramos to Tim Hudson, Mark Mulder and Barry Zito --
all young Oakland starters who worked their way quickly through the
minor leagues.
"This guy is durable, he's deceptive," Fuson said. "From day
one, he is a guy that has had a knack for throwing his fastball by
people.
The Texas rotation now stands as Chan Ho Park, Kenny Rogers,
Doug Davis and Dave Burba.
Ramos will join Steve Woodard -- a free agent from Cleveland who
on Monday signed a minor league contract with the Rangers -- Aaron
Myette, Rob Bell and Hideki Irabu for two other spots -- a No. 5
starter and a sixth pitcher who will be a long reliever and make
spot starts. Hart expects the Rangers to carry 12 pitchers into the
season.
Pena, the Rangers' first-round pick in the 1998 amateur draft,
made his major league debut at the end of last season, batting .258
with three homers -- the first two coming against the A's -- and 12
RBI in 22 games. He also had four doubles and a triple.
Pena would have been the backup to Rafael Palmeiro had he not
been shipped to Oakland. Now, Pena has a chance to be a regular
with the Athletics because of Giambi's departure to the New York
Yankees.
Palmeiro probably will be backed up by Rusty Greer, Frank
Catalanotto and Herbert Perry, all players already on the Texas
roster.
Jason Hart isn't expected to ready for the majors for at least
another year. He batted .246 with 19 homers and 75 RBI in 133
games for Triple A Sacramento last season.. He struck out 101 times
in 492 at-bats and hasn't yet appeared in the majors.
Venafro was 5-5 with a 4.80 ERA in 70 appearances for the
Rangers last season. He became expendable with the addition of
relievers John Rocker, Jay Powell and Todd Van Poppel, and also was
eligible for arbitration after making $310,000 last season, his
third with the Rangers.
Ludwick, 23, spent most of 2001 at Double A Midland, batting
.269 with 25 homers and 96 RBI in 119 games. Laird, 22, hit .255
with five homers and 46 homers in 199 games at Class A Modesto.
The Rangers also announced the hiring of Tim Ireland as manager
of Tulsa, their Double A team in the Texas League.
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