Baseball Notes: Reds acquire reliever Marshall from Cubs
Published 9:43 pm Friday, December 23, 2011
CINCINNATI — The Cincinnati Reds acquired left-handed reliever Sean Marshall from the Chicago Cubs on Friday for young lefty starter Travis Wood and two other players.
It was the second time in a week that the Reds gave up several prospects for pitching help. They earlier sent four players, including Edinson Volquez, to San Diego for starter Mat Latos.
The 29-year-old, 6-foot-7 Marshall was 6-6 with a 2.26 ERA last season. He had five saves. The Reds have been in talks to try to re-sign closer Francisco Cordero, who became a free agent after last season.
“Sean has been one of the best and most durable relievers in baseball the last couple of seasons,” Reds general manager Walt Jocketty said in a statement.
The 24-year-old Wood made 35 starts for the Reds over two seasons. He finished 6-6 with a 4.84 ERA in 2011, with a stint in Class AAA after struggling early in the year.
The Cubs also get 24-year-old outfielder Dave Sappelt, who batted .243 in 38 games with the Reds, and 19-year-old infield prospect Ronald Torreyes, who batted .356 in 67 games for Class A Dayton.
“Twenty-four-year old left-handed starters who have already had success in the big leagues don’t grow on trees,” Cubs president of baseball operations Theo Epstein said. “We had to give up a great relief pitcher in Sean Marshall and someone we were proud to call a Cub, but we think to acquire Wood and the two young guys, it was worth doing.”
Wood made 17 starts for the Reds in 2010, going 5-4 with a 3.51 earned-run average.
Court: Dodgers can’t sell TV rights
LOS ANGELES — In a ruling that could limit the field of potential bidders for the Los Angeles Dodgers, a judge ruled Friday that the team must halt the sale of its television rights for now.
U.S. District Court Judge Leonard Stark ruled that he was “likely to conclude” that a previous court decision permitting the sale was “based on one or more clearly erroneous findings of fact.”
Stark put the sale on hold pending a Jan. 12 hearing. If he follows through on Friday’s ruling, the Dodgers would be prevented from selling their television rights along with the team, a step the Dodgers and their creditors had argued would maximize the sale price for the team.
