Red Sox and Rockies Trade Players

<br>BOSTON (AP) â€” Colorado and Boston completed a seven-player trade Thursday, with the Red Sox receiving pitcher Rolando Arrojo and infielder Mike Lansing for second baseman Jeff Frye and pitchers Brian

Thursday, July 27th 2000, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

BOSTON (AP) â€” Colorado and Boston completed a seven-player trade Thursday, with the Red Sox receiving pitcher Rolando Arrojo and infielder Mike Lansing for second baseman Jeff Frye and pitchers Brian Rose and John Wasdin.

Boston also acquired pitcher Rick Croushore and an undisclosed amount of cash. The Rockies also got minor league pitcher Jeff Taglienti.

The deal was announced after the Rockies lost to Los Angeles 16-11, their 18th defeat in 22 games. Colorado trails New York by seven games in the NL wild-card race.

Boston, which played later at night in Oakland, is in the middle of the chase for the AL East title and the wild-card slot.

``We thought Arrojo would stabilize our rotation for the rest of the season and going into the postseason,'' Red Sox general manager Dan Duquette said. ``It's always good to have the innings and the experience in the postseason. We thought that Arrojo was one of the better experienced pitchers available.''

Pitching has been a prime commodity as Monday's trading deadline approaches, with Curt Schilling, Andy Ashby and Denny Neagle all recently acquired by contenders. Duquette had said the Red Sox were looking for a hitter, but the team just lost Pete Schourek, perhaps for the season.

Lansing, 32, is batting .258 with 11 home runs and 43 RBIs for the Rockies. Duquette said talks will continue about a power hitter.

Lansing was aware of the trade rumors.

``Things get out,'' he said. ``We're not stupid, deaf and dumb.''

Arrojo, 32, has had trouble adjusting to Coors Field since he was traded from Tampa Bay to the Rockies last December, going 5-9 with a 6.04 ERA in 19 starts this year.

``It's hard to evaluate pitchers in Colorado,'' Duquette said, adding that Arrojo has a 4.90 ERA on the road this season. ``It's not unusual for pitchers to have trouble in Colorado.''

Rose, Wasdin and Frye are expected to join the Rockies in Milwaukee this weekend. Taglienti will report to Double-A Carolina.

Arrojo could be in the rotation as soon as Sunday. He and Lansing are expected to be with the team in time for Friday night's game at Oakland.

``We are sending Arrojo to a place where he is excited to pitch,'' Rockies general manager Dan O'Dowd said. ``Of course, we are giving up experience for youth.''

``It is a trade we have been working on for a while. It was difficult to put together,'' he said.

To get Arrojo and Lansing, the Red Sox barely had to dent their major league roster; only Frye was with the Boston club. He was hitting .289 with one homer and 13 RBIs but had also drawn management's ire with his criticism, later recanted, over the way Mike Stanley was released.

Rose, 24, had been one of Boston's most promising prospects. But after opening the season on the Red Sox roster he went 3-5 with a 6.11 ERA and was sent back to Triple-A Pawtucket; there, he went 4-1 with a 3.19 ERA.

Wasdin, 27, was best known as the pitcher Boston acquired from Oakland in exchange for Jose Canseco. He was 1-0 with a 2.25 ERA in five games at Pawtucket and 1-3 with a 5.04 ERA in 25 games with Boston.

``This is an opportunity for them to pitch for another organization. They're both young and they have good arms and they should have good major league careers,'' Duquette said. ``We thought we could add to our ballclub for this season and not really affect our major league ballclub.''

Croushore, 30 next month, has also been demoted after spending time in the majors this season. Although he has struggled this season, he did have more success last year in St. Louis, when he went 2-7 with a 4.14 ERA out of the bullpen.

``We really like Croushore's arm,'' Duquette said. ``Although he was in the minors, we think that he'll do much better in Boston than he did in Colorado. We hope that he returns to the form he showed in St. Louis.''