TheFightinPhils
02-06-2005, 10:53 PM
Phoenix, AZ (Sports Network) - The Arizona Diamondbacks acquired outfielder Jose Cruz, Jr. from the Tampa Bay Devil Rays Sunday in exchange for pitcher Casey Fossum.
The 30-year-old Cruz will be playing for his fourth team in four years. He signed a two-year free-agent contract with Tampa Bay prior to the 2004 campaign and batted .242 with 21 home runs, 78 RBI and 11 stolen bases in his lone season with the Devil Rays.
Cruz, who joins a revamped Arizona outfield which also includes former Los Angeles Dodgers slugger Shawn Green, will likely shift from right field to center with his new club. A well-regarded defender, Cruz won a Gold Glove in 2003 while a member of the San Francisco Giants.
The eight-year veteran is a career .250 hitter with 155 homers and 467 RBI with Seattle, Toronto, San Francisco and Tampa Bay. Cruz has hit at least 20 home runs in four of the last five seasons, including a career-best 34 with the Blue Jays in 2001.
Fossum, one of the central figures in the trade which landed Curt Schilling to Boston last offseason, struggled mightily in his only year with Arizona. The 27-year-old lefty finished 4-15 with a 6.65 ERA in 27 starts for the season.
In four major league seasons with Boston and the Diamondbacks, Fossum owns an 18-26 career record and a 5.27 ERA in 102 appearances, including 60 starts.
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/scorecard/mlbnews.asp?articleID=122358
The 30-year-old Cruz will be playing for his fourth team in four years. He signed a two-year free-agent contract with Tampa Bay prior to the 2004 campaign and batted .242 with 21 home runs, 78 RBI and 11 stolen bases in his lone season with the Devil Rays.
Cruz, who joins a revamped Arizona outfield which also includes former Los Angeles Dodgers slugger Shawn Green, will likely shift from right field to center with his new club. A well-regarded defender, Cruz won a Gold Glove in 2003 while a member of the San Francisco Giants.
The eight-year veteran is a career .250 hitter with 155 homers and 467 RBI with Seattle, Toronto, San Francisco and Tampa Bay. Cruz has hit at least 20 home runs in four of the last five seasons, including a career-best 34 with the Blue Jays in 2001.
Fossum, one of the central figures in the trade which landed Curt Schilling to Boston last offseason, struggled mightily in his only year with Arizona. The 27-year-old lefty finished 4-15 with a 6.65 ERA in 27 starts for the season.
In four major league seasons with Boston and the Diamondbacks, Fossum owns an 18-26 career record and a 5.27 ERA in 102 appearances, including 60 starts.
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/scorecard/mlbnews.asp?articleID=122358