Overbay Traded to Toronto!
Overbay Shipped to Toronto
Deal opens way for Prince Fielder
Dennis Jenders
The Milwaukee Brewers completed a trade with the Toronto Blue Jays Wednesday exchanging Lyle Overbay and a minor leaguer to be named for pitcher Dave Bush, hot pitching prospect Zach Jackson and minor leaguer Gabe Gross.
Just one week after Overbay appeared at the Winter Warm-Up event for the autograph session and the fashion show where he looked happy sporting the Brewers retro logo, he finds himself north of the border. A day earlier manger Ned Yost was quoted in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel as saying "there are no negatives to Lyle Overbay. For me to say, 'Let's get rid of Lyle Overbay,' that's crazy. That's the last thing I want to do.”
Toronto has been the most active team in free-agency this off-season acquiring A.J. Burnett and B.J. Ryan already. Turning towards offense they decided to continue their pursuit of Overbay. Initially it looked like the deal would involve the Minnesota Twins where the Brewers would send Overbay to Toronto for Shea Hillenbrand and a pitcher and then turn Hillenbrand around and send him to the Twins for more pitching.
Bush a 26 year old righty was 5-11 with a 4.49 ERA in 25 appearances last year for Toronto and should be given a shot at making the rotation this spring.
Jackson is a 22 year old lefty. Standing 6-5 he went 8-1 with a 2.88 ERA in 10 appearances with A Dunedin last year. He was quickly promoted to AA New Hampshire where he was 4-3 with a 4.00 ERA, less than a year after he was drafted, before finishing the season in AAA Syracuse with a 4-4 record and 5.13 ERA in eight starts.
Possibly exhausted at the end of last season after playing for Texas A&M Jackson could pitch his way into the rotation with a strong spring. Jackson is a strikeout pitcher with a heavy sinker and a good cut fastball. He can throw the 4 seamer and has an adequate changeup and slider and was one of Toronto’s top ten
Gross played in just 40 games with one home run and seven RBI. He spent the rest of 2005 in AAA Syracuse where he hit .300 with six home runs and 49 RBI. Gross is a former first round pick, 15th overall, out of Auburn in 2001. Brewers assistant general manager Gord Ash is well informed about Gross as he was at the helm of Toronto’s operations. Gross is a big man and is provides a left-handed bat off the bench. Known for his excellent power he could make some noise, an elbow injury in 2004 has limited him in the past and may have affected his swing.
Fielder will now be handed the job at first. In 39 games last year he batted .288 with two homers and 10 RBI, mostly coming off the bench. In AAA Nashville he batted .291 with 28 homers and 86 RBI.
Overbay was acquired in the Richie Sexson deal in December of 2003. His best season was in 2004 when he finished the season batting .301 with 16 homers, 87 RBI and a club-record 53 doubles.
The Brewers were initially pursuing righty Dustin McGowan from Toronto but was told he was off limits. GM Doug Melvin has repeatedly said he would only move Overbay if the deal would strengthen the team. With many other teams already filling voids at first, the Pirates and Mets most notably, Toronto was the biggest suitor and Melvin pulled the trigger.