Saba and Trexler Join Everest

by Amanda O’Neill
Denver Post Sports Writer
March 18, 2011

Kiminobu Baba

Shortly after Colorado management shocked reporters and fans with the news that Robert Côté would be leaving town to help balance the books, the club called reporters back to tell them that popular second baseman Jeff Cooper had also been provided with transportation vouchers out of town.  Cooper will be going due south to join the Mexican Hat Wild Burros.  Joining him on the journey to Mexican Hat will be outfielder Pat Lewis.

Cooper will take his $12.5 million arbitration-awarded salary with him to Mexican Hat, thus saving the club almost as much as moving Côté and his $15+ million tab.  Jeff is coming off a career-type year in which he hit .336 with 20 home runs.  Lewis was making minimum salary, but it was including him in the deal that it made it work for Mexican Hat management.

And what does Colorado get in return:

• A not insignificant $15,000,000.
• 28-year-old relief pitcher Ed “Sniper” Trexler – a solid bullpen specialist who relies mainly on a fast ball supplemented with a slider.  He can bring home the fastball in the upper 90’s, and he gets a lot of ground ball outs. Trexler currently makes $525,000 per year.
• 24-year-old Japanese born shortstop Kiminobu Baba – hit .270 in two partial seasons with the Burlington Phishheads (as the Mexican Hat Wild Burros were known prior to this year).  Baba can play 2B equally well, and he is excellent at turning the double play.  He currently makes the league minimum of $350,000.

Colorado will be a weaker team without Côté and Cooper, but they will have brought their payroll down to under their budget of $90.5 million for 2011.  That essentially meets the team’s short term financial goal, and no further blockbuster deals are expected.  Well, probably not . . .