Breaking News: Baez To Dodgers

This just in: the Devil Rays have traded righthanded relievers Danys Baez and Lance Carter plus a player to be named later to the Dodgers for starting pitching prospects Edwin Jackson and Chuck Tiffany.

Ken Rosenthal had a whiff of the deal earlier this afternoon, and it’s a variation on the trade rumor we reported back on Tuesday.  Jackson and Tiffany had fallen out of the Dodgers’ top ten prospect list.  Before the 2005 season, Jackson ranked 3rd and southpaw Tiffany 10th.

Edwin Jackson brings a mid 90s heater and dangerous slider to the table.  Despite throwing 55 innings of 8.62 ball in Triple A in 2005, Jackson is likely to see some starts for the Devil Rays at the Major League level in 2006.  Baseball America ranked him the Dodgers’ #1 prospect in 2004 after a sparkling Double A season at the tender age of 19.  Jackson has been inconsistent since then and has yet to succeed above Double A.

Chuck Tiffany throws a high 80s fastball, big curve ball, and circle changeup.  He pitched 110 innings of 3.93 ball in high A ball in ’05, striking out almost 11 hitters per nine innings.

You can view my breakdown of Danys Baez here.  He’s a solid insurance policy for Eric Gagne, although both pitchers hit free agency after 2006.  Lance Carter’s claim to fame is making an All-Star team by default in 2003 after saving 15 games with a 4.05 ERA for the Devil Rays in the first half.  He has good control and doesn’t strike people out.  Dodger Stadium won’t hide his home run tendencies.