Castilla Dealt In 4-Team Trade

December 13, 1999 / 2:15 PM EST / CBS/AP

Third baseman Vinny Castilla was sent to Tampa Bay, and pitcher Rolando Arrojo and third baseman Jeff Cirillo wound up in Colorado today after a four-team trade that also involved Milwaukee and Oakland.

The big deal at the winter meetings also moved pitcher Scott Karl and infielder Aaron Ledesma to the Rockies.

Milwaukee wound up with pitchers Jamey Wright and Jimmy Haynes and catcher Henry Blanco. Oakland got young pitcher Justin Miller.

There had been talk before the meetings that Tampa Bay might trade Arrojo and that the Devil Rays wanted Castilla from the Rockies. Late Sunday, rumors of a deal involving several teams began to circulate.

Castilla, 32, has been one of baseball's most consistent home run hitters in the last five years, averaging 38 a season. He hit 33 this year with 102 RBIs while batting .275.

Now, however, Castilla will have to show he can hit for power away from Coors Field. He will take over full time at a position that recently retired Wade Boggs played on a part-time basis.

Arrojo, meanwhile, will have to adjust to a new league and, more important, the high altitude of Denver. Pitchers have not fared well at Coors, and the 31-year-old Arrojo will be tested.

Arrojo was 7-12 with a 5.18 ERA in 24 starts for the Devil Rays, who had earlier talked about sending him to Anaheim.

The Rockies also got Cirillo and Karl from Milwaukee and Ledesma from Tampa Bay.

Cirillo hit .326 with 15 home runs and 88 RBIs while Karl was 11-11 with a 4.78 ERA for the Brewers. Ledesma hit .265 with 30 RBIs in 93 games.

The Brewers acquired Wright and Blanco from Colorado and got Haynes from Oakland in the complicated deal.

Wright was 4-3 with a 4.87 ERA in 16 starts and Blanco batted .232 with six homers and 28 RBIs in a part-time role. Haynes was 7-12 with a 6.34 ERA for Oakland.

The Athletics wound up with Miller, who was 1-2 with a 4.14 ERA in Class A for Colorado.