The Orioles made an aggressive move over the weekend, dealing promising right-handed reliever Chris Britton to the rival New York Yankees for right-handed starter Jaret Wright and cash considerations.
With the move, the Orioles started to work on improving a ballclub that went 70-92 last season, its ninth straight losing campaign. Wright, 30, went 11-7 with a 4.49 ERA in 30 games for New York in 2006 and is 68-57 with a 5.07 ERA in 223 career games.
The trade solidifies a young rotation, one that the Orioles were hoping to upgrade this offseason with the addition of at least one veteran starter.
The team entered last season with hopes that Rodrigo Lopez and Bruce Chen could fill the veteran roles. Instead, they struggled and were relegated to the bullpen.
Wright has pitched out of the bullpen before, including 50 appearances in 2003, but the Orioles will likely use him as a mid-rotation starter.
In 2004, Wright pitched under the tutelage of Orioles pitching coach Leo Mazzone in Atlanta, turning in a career-best 15 wins with a 3.28 ERA for the Braves. He helped lead Cleveland to the 1997 World Series, which the Indians eventually lost to Florida. He went 1-0 with a 2.92 ERA in two starts against the Marlins.
The Yankees signed him to a three-year, $21 million contract prior to the 2005 season.
The trade was a surprise on several levels. First, the club dealt with the American League East rival Yankees, and secondly, it traded for a pitcher with a history of arm troubles ? something management has stayed away from in recent years.
Heading into 2006, Wright had made eight trips to the disabled list, including three stays on the 60-day DL. He missed nearly an entire year ? the second-half of the 2000 season through the beginning of 2001 ? after undergoing surgery on his right shoulder.
But Wright?s potential and a mid-90s fastball were appealing to Baltimore, which traded away a promising young reliever in return. Britton, 23, made 52 appearances as a rookie last season, going 0-2 with one save and a 3.35 ERA.
The Orioles are likely to address the bullpen and their lineup in free agency, which opens today, as the general managers meetings kick off in Naples, Fla.
THE WRIGHT FILE
» Height: 6-foot-2
» Weight: 230
» Contract: Signed through 2007
» Did you know? Wright entered the 2006 season 1-0 with a 5.84 ERA in 12.1 innings pitched at Oriole Park at Camden Yards ? Went 2-0 in three appearances in Baltimore in 2006 ? Also played quarterback and linebacker at Katella High in Orange County, Calif. ? Wright?s father, Clyde, went 100-111 in 10 major league seasons from 1966 to ?75.
