|
|
Second baseman Marlon Anderson was among three players who became free agents when they were not offered contracts by the Tampa Bay Devil Rays before Saturday's midnight deadline.
Anderson hit .270 with six home runs and 67 RBIs last season for Tampa Bay. In six major league seasons, the first five with Philadelphia, the 29-year-old is a .267 hitter with 32 homers and 249 RBIs in 624 games.
Right-hander Gerardo Garcia and third baseman Jared Sandberg also were not offered deals by the Devil Rays. Sandberg hit .213 in 55 games last season, while Garcia had a combined 4-8 record and 5.08 ERA in 25 games for Double-A Orlando and Triple-A Durham in 2003.
Garcia threw a
no-hitter for Orlando on May 22, but has never pitched in the major leagues.
Catcher-outfielder Ben Petrick and pitcher Andy Van Hekken became free agents Sunday after the Detroit Tigers did not offer them contracts.
Detroit obtained Petrick in a July 13 trade with Colorado that sent right-handed reliever Adam Bernero to the Rockies. The 26-year-old batted .225 with four home runs and 12 RBIs in 43 games with the Tigers.
Van Hekken, 24, did not pitch in the major leagues in 2003. The left-hander from Holland, Mich., was 1-3 with a 3.00 ERA in five starts with Detroit in 2002 after pitching at Double-A Erie and Toledo. His 4-0 victory over Cleveland on Sept. 3, 2002 made Van Hekken the first AL rookie since 1975 to pitch a shutout in his first major league start.