Orioles trade Freel to Cubs

By Jeff Zrebiec and Peter Schmuck and

May 9, 2009

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Disgruntled Orioles utility man Ryan Freel got his wish Friday as he was traded to the Chicago Cubs for outfielder Joey Gathright, who passed waivers and was assigned to Triple-A Norfolk.

Freel, who was acquired from the Cincinnati Reds in December in the Ramon Hernandez deal and was originally expected to occupy a regular role with the Orioles, played in just nine games, hitting .133 (2-for-15) before he went on the disabled list with a head injury. He was hit in the side of the face by an errant pickoff throw April 20.

"It's just one of those star-crossed things," Orioles president of baseball operations Andy MacPhail said. "It didn't evolve. Ryan and I talked a couple times, and he saw himself more as a National League player ... and I really couldn't fault his logic. To me, you could kind of see that there wasn't going to be as many at-bats here as we originally forecast. I think this gives him a new lease, and hopefully he'll get back to the type of player he was before."

After acquiring Freel, the Orioles traded for Felix Pie and signed free agent Ty Wigginton, leaving Freel with no role. The 33-year-old said several times that he didn't feel there was a role for him on the club and privately voiced those concerns to MacPhail.

Gathright, 28, known for his speed and athleticism, was 3-for-14 with the Cubs this season after batting .254 with 21 steals for the Kansas City Royals last year. In parts of six major league seasons, Gathright has a .262 career average and 79 steals.

To finalize the deal, the Orioles will pay the Cubs approximately $2.6 million in cash. Freel is due to make $4 million this season, while Gathright is owed $800,000.

Sarfate's good news

An angiogram taken Friday to determine the cause of numbness in Dennis Sarfate's right, pitching hand revealed no serious concerns, though the reliever still will be shut down from pitching for at least a month and from all exercises for the next week.

"He has a stretch injury in his finger, something to do with the artery in his middle finger, but all of the other stuff, he's fine," Orioles manager Dave Trembley said. "Obviously, he's not going to be available for us for a while, but the good news is it's not career-threatening."

Personal catcher

Catcher Chad Moeller started Friday and apparently will do so regularly when Jeremy Guthrie pitches. Trembley indicated that Gregg Zaun could still catch Guthrie on occasion. Zaun caught Guthrie's first five starts, while Moeller has caught his past two.

Trembley said there are no issues between Guthrie and Zaun but he wanted to keep his top starter and Moeller together after Guthrie threw a complete game in his last start.

"Both [Guthrie and Zaun] are strong personalities guys," Trembley said. "I don't think there is any problem between them, but if I could do something to make the situation more comfortable for the guy on the mound, I'll certainly try to extend that."

Erbe update

Pitching prospect Brandon Erbe (McDonogh), who was recently placed on the minor league disabled list, will miss about three starts for Double-A Bowie while he strengthens some areas in his shoulder, according to director of player development David Stockstill.

Baltimore Sun reporter Dan Connolly contributed to this article.