Ugueth Urbina Relief Pitcher Boston Red Sox Profile
	2001 SEASON STATISTICS GM W L Sv K ERA 45 2 1 15 57 4.24

BOSTON -- Montreal Expos reliever Ugueth Urbina, nearly traded to the New York Yankees in June, instead got sent to the rival Boston Red Sox on Tuesday for two minor league pitchers.

Boston sent Tomo Ohka and Rich Rundles to the Expos in a deal completed shortly before the 4 p.m. ET non-waiver trading deadline. The Red Sox also received cash -- believed to be $1 million -- in the deal.

The Red Sox needed bullpen help, with closer Derek Lowe struggling all season, and found it with Urbina.

"He's death to right-handed hitters," Red Sox general manager Dan Duquette said. "If you need a strikeout in a key situation, he can provide that."

"I have a lot of confidence in Derek Lowe, but if I have the opportunity to add another top quality relief pitcher, I think it's in the interest of the team to add him to the team and let those things work themselves out," he said.

Urbina was 2-1 with 15 saves and a 4.24 ERA. The 27-year-old righty led the NL with 41 saves in 1999, but missed most of the last season after undergoing reconstructive elbow surgery.

Lowe, 4-8 with a 4.15 ERA, said he expects to retain his job.

"When the ninth inning comes, you don't want two or three guys wondering who it's going to be," Lowe said. "Hopefully, I'll pitch the ninth inning tonight and get a save and let tomorrow take care of itself."

Duquette said he began talking to Montreal about Urbina last November and did not have concerns about the pitcher's elbow.

"There was no doubt he was to go," Expos infielder Geoff Blum said. "We knew when we played Boston that they were watching and they were pretty impressed with him."

Boston pitching coach Joe Kerrigan talked with Urbina while the Red Sox were in Montreal two weeks ago.

"He told me he was feeling strong again," Kerrigan said. "The kid's a real animal on the mound. He's not afraid of anything in life or on the baseball field."

Montreal and the Yankees agreed in mid-June to a tentative trade that would have sent Urbina to the Yankees for minor leaguers D'Angelo Jimenez and Brandon Knight.

But after medical exams on June 18, the Yankees were concerned about Urbina's health and the Expos weren't happy with Knight's medical tests, and the deal was called off.

The Red Sox began the day 3½ games behind the Yankees in the AL East.

"It's a big play for them," Yankees manager Joe Torre said. "They're shoring up the area that could be a question mark. Urbina is a good one."

Ohka was 2-5 with 6.19 ERA for the Red Sox before being sent down to Triple-A Pawtucket last week. Rundles was 7-6 with a 2.43 at Class-A Augusta.

"We gave up a major league pitcher in Ohka who's had several chances to help our major league team this year, and it didn't look like he was going to help," Duquette said.

The Expos have a different idea.

"I think he's going to help," Montreal first baseman Lee Stevens said. "We're losing a stopper but we're getting a good pitcher in return."

Information from the Associated Press was used in this report.