D'BACKS GET RELIEF FOR LEFTY
The Arizona Diamondbacks acquired pitcher Juan Cruz from the Oakland Athletics for pitcher Brad Halsey.
What does it give the Arizona Diamondbacks
Cruz, who will start the season with his fourth club in as many years, is a flame-throwing righty once regarded as a top prospect. While he's shown great promise in the minors as a starter, the 27-year-old hurler has predominantly been a late-reliever in the majors with mixed results. The D'backs have some question marks at the top of their bullpen, so they're hoping Cruz will throw some quality seventh and eighth innings.
What does it give the Oakland Athletics
The sophomore southpaw, who will start the season with his third team in as many years, spent most of 2005 in the Arizona rotation, showing his good command with solid results. He was in the running for the fifth spot this spring and was on his way to winning it before the trade. Now with Oakland, he'll have to settle for a less glamorous role in the middle of the bullpen, but he does give them a second quality left-handed depth guy, to go along with Joe Kennedy, in case a starter goes down.
Fantasy impact
