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Friday, July 5
Updated: July 7, 9:43 AM ET
 
Lilly sent to A's; Pena shipped to Tigers

Associated Press

NEW YORK -- Seeking to add even more pitching for the second half, the first-place New York Yankees acquired Jeff Weaver from Detroit early Saturday in a three-team trade that also included Oakland.

Jeff Weaver
Starting Pitcher
New York Yankees
Profile
2002 SEASON STATISTICS
GM W-L IP H K ERA
17 6-8 121.2 112 75 3.18

As part of the deal, the Athletics sent first baseman Carlos Pena to the Tigers and the Yankees dealt pitcher Ted Lilly to Oakland.

Earlier this week, the AL East-leading Yankees acquired star right fielder Raul Mondesi from Toronto for a Double-A reliever.

To get Weaver, the Yankees also gave up a pair of top prospects, sending outfielder John-Ford Griffin, the team's No. 1 pick a year ago, and right-hander Jason Arnold to the A's. Detroit also acquired minor league right-hander Franklyn German and a player to be named from Oakland.

Higginson rips Tigers
Tigers outfielder Bobby Higginson criticized team president and general manager Dave Dombrowski for trading No. 1 starter Jeff Weaver.

"It's a terrible trade, that's what I think," Higginson told reporters Saturday. "We just traded a No. 1 starter who's 25 years old and wanted to stay here. For the baseball fans in Detroit, this is a bad day. I think he'll win a Cy Young with New York, a couple of them."

Higginson said he thinks Dombrowski traded Weaver because he didn't like the pitcher.

"This was a personal issue -- that's the bottom line," Higginson said. "He didn't like Jeff Weaver and decided to trade him.

"That's definitely not the way to run a ballclub. If you were going to build a team and there's one guy you shouldn't trade, it was Jeff.

Dombrowski denied having personal problems with Weaver.

"I liked Jeff," Dombrowski said. "I wish I could have kept him and the three players we got."

Higginson thinks he could be the next to go. "I have to get healthy first, but if it's the right team, a playoff team, I'm gone," he said.
-- ESPN.com news services

"We had to seize the moment and acquire one of the best young starters in baseball," Yankees general manager Brian Cashman said. "We're a pitching-oriented organization. Pitching is what's going to make or break us."

Weaver, a 25-year-old right-hander, is 6-8 with a 3.18 ERA this season on a Tigers team that is 30-53. He had been linked to several teams in trade speculation.

"I think everyone heard the rumors," Weaver said. "The opportunity to go from last to first in a day is quite interesting in itself."

Weaver joins a New York rotation that already includes Mike Mussina, Andy Pettitte, Roger Clemens, David Wells and Orlando Hernandez -- one that is so strong that it had reduced now-injured Sterling Hitchcock to a reliever and spot starter.

Clemens, Hernandez and Wells are all over 35 and have missed starts this year. Earlier Friday, the Yankees scratched Clemens from his scheduled start against Toronto on Sunday and said Lilly would take his place.

"We had one opportunity to acquire Weaver, who I have been interested in since spring training. He's signed through 2005 to a deal that fits well into our budget. It's a very affordable deal," Cashman said.

Weaver was still at Fenway Park, where Detroit defeated Boston 9-5. He was eager to put on pinstripes as part of a talented staff.

"Those are people to learn from. I can't wait to sit next to those guys on the bench, and hopefully be an impact for a long time," he said.

Lilly, a 26-year-old left-hander, is 3-6 with a 3.40 ERA in 11 starts and two relief appearances. On April 27 he pitched a one-hitter in a 1-0 loss at Seattle and on June 22 he pitched a three-hitter at San Diego for his first major league shutout.

"Lilly kept us on even keel the way he's pitched for us," Yankees manager Joe Torre said after Friday night's 6-3 win over Toronto.

"Ted Lilly is someone we've tried to get for the last several years," A's general manager Billy Beane said. "It's a success for us for a number of reasons. We get a major league pitcher and we get top picks from the Yankees."

Lilly had left Yankee Stadium by the time the trade was announced at 12:30 a.m. ET.




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