Damon Tops Nine-Player MLB Trade

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) â€” The Kansas City Royals didn't want to lose Johnny Damon and get nothing in return. <br><br>The Oakland Athletics don't want to lose him, either â€” but unlike the Royals,

Tuesday, January 9th 2001, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) â€” The Kansas City Royals didn't want to lose Johnny Damon and get nothing in return.

The Oakland Athletics don't want to lose him, either â€” but unlike the Royals, they're willing to take the risk.

Damon, the speedy Kansas City outfielder coveted by many big-market teams, was acquired by the A's on Monday in a surprising three-team trade involving nine players.

``If I sound subdued, it's just because I'm trying to sound mature because we just pulled off this big trade,'' Oakland GM Billy Beane said. ``I can tell you that we're ecstatic about this.''

The deal also sent outfielder Ben Grieve from the Athletics to Tampa Bay and moved closer Roberto Hernandez from the Devil Rays to the Royals.

Catcher A.J. Hinch and reliever Cory Lidle were the only other major league players in the deal, though Kansas City's acquisition of highly regarded minor league shortstop Angel Berroa from the A's was a large factor.

Beane admitted the AL West champions needed to improve in the wake of Alex Rodriguez's $252 million signing with division rival Texas. Beane accomplished that goal in dramatic fashion by snatching one of baseball's most sought-after outfielders â€” despite the risk of his impending free agency next winter.

``That's part of the risk you take when you go into something like this to make us much better,'' Beane said. ``This is a dimension that this team hasn't had for the last two years. We haven't had this type of player probably since Rickey (Henderson) was in his prime.''

The deal gives the Devil Rays another powerful bat while continuing their youth movement, and it gives the Royals badly needed bullpen help and two promising young prospects.

But most significantly, it gives a new dimension to the Athletics, who stole just 40 bases last year, often played terrible defense and relied heavily on the long ball while winning 91 games with a payroll under $35 million.

``It means we've got to get a steal sign now,'' Beane said.

Kansas City GM Allard Baird was somber in announcing the deal. A scout for the Royals before assuming his current job, Baird signed Damon when the outfielder was 18.

``The timetable was running out, and that's what dictated this,'' Baird said. ``If we had felt for one minute that we could sign Johnny to a long-term deal, then obviously we would not have made this deal.''

The A's still must sign Damon for the current season either through arbitration or negotiation, but Beane was confident a deal would be completed soon.

Damon hit .327 with 16 homers and 88 RBIs last season for the Royals, the fifth straight year his offensive numbers improved. He had career highs in hits (214), runs (136), doubles (42), RBIs, batting average, on-base percentage and slugging percentage.

He led the AL with 46 stolen bases and 136 runs scored. Beane also noted that Damon had a higher slugging percentage (.495) than Grieve (.487).

``Johnny Damon brings a lot of things that this club was lacking,'' Beane said. ``Plus, how many times are you going to find a guy with his kind of speed and his kind of defensive abilities who also has a chance to hit 20 homers a year?''

Grieve, the 1998 AL Rookie of the Year, hit .279 with 27 homers and 104 RBIs last season, but he also struck out a career-high 130 times and grounded into a major league-leading 32 double plays.

``If you're asking me if I wanted to be traded, no,'' Grieve said on a conference call. ``At the same time I have the attitude that if they're going to trade me, not to hang my head.''

Grieve signed a four-year, $13 million deal last March, but just two seasons after bursting onto the scene for Oakland, he was a spare part on a team with AL MVP Jason Giambi, Terrence Long, Adam Piatt and John Jaha in the outfield and at designated hitter.

``We could not pass the opportunity to get a young bat like Ben's,'' said Devil Rays GM Chuck LaMar, who also admitted that Grieve's secure contract status was attractive. ``In our opinion, the sky's the limit for what he can accomplish at the plate.''

Grieve thought he'd be part of Oakland's nucleus for a long time.

``In spring training, when I signed the contract, I had that feeling,'' he said. ``But things change over the course of time. I didn't have the kind of season I wanted to have or maybe they wanted me to have. At the end of the season, I didn't have the same feeling.''

Hernandez was 4-7 with a 3.19 ERA and 32 saves last season. The 36-year-old right-hander has been among the majors' top relievers for several seasons.

``He's arguably been our most valuable player since the franchise started,'' LaMar said. ``We've been very resilient in coming up with pitching, and we're going to have to do it again.''

The Royals also acquired Hinch, Berroa and cash from the A's. Baird called Berroa a key to the deal.

``He is a legitimate shortstop, tremendous upside,'' Baird said.

Regarded as a top prospect early in his career, Hinch played only six games for Oakland last season. Berroa hit .277 with 10 home runs and 63 RBIs for Class A Visalia.

The Athletics got Lidle, 28, from Tampa Bay. He was 4-6 with a 5.03 ERA in 31 games, and his performance in a 4-0 shutout of Oakland in September put his name on the A's list. He'll compete with Omar Olivares and Mark Guthrie for the fifth spot in Oakland's rotation.

Oakland also acquired minor league infielder Mark Ellis and a player to be named from Kansas City. Ellis hit a combined .302 with 26 stolen bases in Class A and Double-A.

Tampa Bay also got a player to be named or cash from the Athletics.

Damon Tops Nine-Player MLB Trade