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Wednesday, January 12
 
Brewers, White Sox swap pitchers

Associated Press

MILWAUKEE -- Exchanging problems, the Milwaukee Brewers traded right-hander Cal Eldred and infielder Jose Valentin to the Chicago White Sox on Wednesday for right-handers Jaime Navarro and John Snyder.

Cal Eldred
Eldred

Jaime Navarro
Navarro

An Eldred-for-Navarro swap had been rumored since last summer, when Eldred was knocked out of the Brewers' starting rotation and Navarro, a former Brewer, fell into disfavor with White Sox manager Jerry Manuel.

Brewers general manager Dean Taylor said the teams had been discussing the deal since November. Valentin and Snyder were included in the deal only after the Brewers were convinced Snyder's surgically repaired right elbow was sound.

"Both will probably benefit from a change of scenery," Taylor said of Eldred and Navarro.

The deal saves the Brewers a minimum of $1 million in salary and helps remove a glut of middle infielders, Taylor said. Since the Brewers' seventh consecutive losing season ended in October, Taylor has acquired seven pitchers and catcher Henry Blanco.

Snyder and Navarro are expected to compete for spots in the Brewers' starting rotation.

Manuel expects Valentin to be the favorite for the White Sox's starting shortstop job. Chicago was worried about the health of Snyder, who started strong last year but struggled before September surgery to remove scar tissue from the elbow.

Chicago was anxious to unload Navarro, a workhorse for the team but was increasingly unhappy with the White Sox. Navarro asked for a trade last summer.

"He didn't get the job done," Manuel said. "He had a lot of opportunities, a lot of starts. Anybody that doesn't want to wear the White Sox uniform and be proud of it, I don't want him around."

Milwaukee spent two years hoping Eldred would assert himself as the club's No. 1 starter, but he had gone 6-16 with a 5.94 ERA in 43 games since the Brewers moved to the National League before the 1998 season.

Eldred was 2-8 with a 7.79 ERA in 20 games last year and he spent most of the second half buried in the back of the bullpen by managers Phil Garner and Jim Lefebvre.

Navarro returns to Milwaukee, where he pitched from 1989-94. His best season as a Brewer came in 1992, when he was 17-11 with a 3.33 ERA. He still ranks in the Brewers' top 10 in six pitching categories, including eighth in strikeouts at 524 and ninth in victories at 62.

Navarro was cited by Manuel and general manager Ron Schueler as a source of near-constant negativity in the White Sox clubhouse. But Taylor cited Navarro's durability and past record of success in Milwaukee as the reasons for the trade.

"Navarro obviously had some good years here, and we're hopeful he'll come back to greener pastures here again," Taylor said. "We need pitchers on this staff who can give us innings, and I know there were some issues with Cal in that regard."

Snyder has pitched for Chicago since 1995, when the White Sox acquired him from Anaheim. He was 9-12 with a 6.68 ERA in 25 games, all starts, last season.

Taylor said Snyder has recovered from surgery and will be ready for spring training.

"If you look at his starts last year, he started off as one of the better pitchers in the league, but then the injuries took their toll," Taylor said.

The light-hitting, good-fielding Valentin was the Brewers' starting shortstop for most of the season's second half. A career .240 hitter, he batted .227 with 10 home runs and 38 RBI.

"We have been looking for a veteran infielder who could strengthen the left side of our infield, and we are very pleased to have been able to acquire Jose," Schueler said. "He is a switch-hitting shortstop with impressive power, a flashy glove and a strong arm."

Manuel said Valentin likely will have the edge on Mike Caruso at shortstop.

Valentin's departure from Milwaukee clears the way for Mark Loretta to become the team's full-time shortstop. The versatile Loretta played every infield position for the Brewers last season.

Both Eldred and Valentin had spent their entire major-league careers with the Brewers. Eldred was the team's top draft pick in 1989, while Valentin was acquired in 1992 from the Padres.




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