The Badger Herald: Sports: Alomar sent to Mets, Brewers sign Casanova

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Alomar sent to Mets, Brewers sign Casanova

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Tuesday, December 11, 2001 12:00 a.m.

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BOSTON (Reuters) ? All-Star second baseman Roberto Alomar was part of the eight-player deal between the New York Mets and the Cleveland Indians announced at winter meetings on Tuesday.

The Mets received Alomar and minor-league prospects Danny Peoples, a first baseman, and Mike Bacsik, a Class AAA lefthander, in exchange for outfielders Matt Lawton and Alex Escobar, right-handed pitcher Jerrod Riggan and two players yet to be named.

The 33-year-old Alomar, one of the best all-around players in the major leagues, batted .336 with 20 homers, 100 RBI, 100 runs scored and 30 stolen bases last season.

“It is not often you get a chance to acquire a 12-time All-Star,” said Mets general manager Steve Phillips.

“We came to these meetings trying to improve our offense and we came away with one of the top players in the game.”

The Indians, who are committed to paring down their budget, saved salary in taking on 30-year-old Lawton, an All-Star two seasons ago with the Minnesota Twins, and 23-year-old Escobar, considered one of baseball’s top young outfield prospects.

“As difficult as it is to trade a Hall of Fame-caliber player like Alomar, we feel the players we have received back will help the Indians sustain a championship-caliber team for this season and for years to come,” Indians general manager Mark Shapiro said.

The Indians, American League Central Division champions, cut nearly $2 million off their payroll with the move and retooled an outfield that is almost certain to be without 2001 starters Kenny Lofton, Juan Gonzalez and Marty Cordova.

Riggan was 3-3 with a 3.40 ERA in 35 games last season for the Mets and should work out of the bullpen for Cleveland.

But the key to the deal is Alomar, one of the greatest second basemen of all time both with the glove, the bat and on the bases.

A 10-time Gold Glove Award winner, Alomar has one year remaining, plus a club option for 2003 that pays him a reported $8 million a year.

Alomar is a career .306 hitter with 1,341 runs scored, 444 doubles, 190 home runs, 1,081 RBI and 446 stolen bases in 14 seasons. He has been voted to 11 successive All-Star Games and appeared in 12 in a row.

Lawton and Escobar are coming off mediocre seasons.

Lawton hit just .246 with three homers and 13 RBI in 48 games for the Mets after coming over in a midseason trade with the Twins.

Escobar batted only .200 in 50 at-bats with the big-league team before returning to the minors last season.

Peoples, who hit .222 with 17 homers and 48 RBI in 370 at-bats at Class AAA Buffalo, could bolster a weak Mets bench while Bacsik was the Indians minor league pitcher of the year.

Bacsik, a 24-year-old starter, was 12-5 with a 3.26 ERA in 21 appearances for Buffalo.

Brewers Sign Casanova: Milwaukee Brewers Tuesday avoided arbitration with Raul Casanova, signing the backup catcher to a one-year contract.

Financial terms were not disclosed but Casanova earned $400,000 in 2001. The 29-year-old switch hitter batted .260 with a career-high 11 home runs and 33 RBI for the Brewers last season.

He was limited to 71 games in 2001, having his season cut short by torn cartilage in his left knee. He is expected to be ready for the start of spring training.

Casanova was acquired by Milwaukee on March 25, 2000, and in his two seasons with the Brewers has a .253 batting average with 17 homers and 69 RBI in 157 games.

Casanova has a career batting average of .238 with 27 homers and 105 RBI in 299 games.