The Blue Jays have ended weeks of speculation by trading Corey Koskie to the Milwaukee Brewers for a minor league pitcher.
The Blue Jays have traded Corey Koskie to the Milwaukee Brewers in exchange for minor league pitcher Brian Wolfe. This trade clears up the firstbase/thirdbase logjam with the Jays with Hillenbrand now the backup third baseman and DH. Hinske will be on the bench and can relieve Glaus or Hillenbrand against right handed pitchers. Koskie's return to Toronto was a disappointment. Koskie was injured and hit poorly on his return.
Wolfe was not listed as a prospect by either Baseball America or John Sickels in 2004 or 2005. My assumption is that Milwaukee absorbed a lot of Koskie's salary and as a result the Jays took a non-prospect in return. Wolfe pitched only eleven innings in 2004 and about 60 this year, all in relief.
More information to come tomorrow.
Morning Edit:
Jeff Blair reports that the Jays are going to pay the Brewers "close to $6 million" of the contract over the next two years.
Bob Elliot's numbers are a little bit different. He has the Jays picking up $7.35 million.
While Koskie was surprised he handled the news in a classy way.
"I'm not mad at anyone,'' he said. "I'm not mad at J.P. He traded me. He felt I wasn't going to be able to get at-bats with them.''"I'm going to miss (manager) John Gibbons,'' he said. "What a great man he was. I really enjoyed playing for him. Brian Butterfield, the infield coach, he's one of the best I've ever had in my life."
https://www.battersbox.ca/article.php?story=20060106232155522