GIANTS, ORIOLES SWAP RELIEVERS
The Baltimore Orioles acquired pitcher LaTroy Hawkins from the San Francisco Giants for pitcher Steve Kline.
What does it give the Baltimore Orioles
With closer B.J. Ryan now in Toronto, the O's needed to shore up the upper tier of their bullpen, and they did that by acquiring Hawkins. He's a big, veteran righty who can throw hard and has a couple of 25-plus-save seasons under his belt, which will be a plus if they need him to go beyond setup duties -- although he's proven to be best as a setup man. The cash sent with Hawkins will help cover the $2 million more in salary he makes than Kline.
What does it give the San Francisco Giants
With Jeff Fassero getting up in age, Kline gives the Giants a bit of a sturdier southpaw for the bullpen. The 33-year-old lefty is generally able to sit down tough left-handed hitters in the late innings, mainly by inducing plenty of groundballs.
Fantasy impact
