Rangers get reliever Adams from SD for 2 players

By foxsports
Published

The AL West-leading Texas Rangers got the relief they sought before the non-waiver trade deadline.

Texas completed its second deal for a reliever in less than 18 hours with the acquisition Sunday of right-hander Mike Adams from the Padres. The Rangers sent minor league pitchers Robbie Erlin and Joe Wieland to San Diego.

The Rangers on Saturday night acquired Baltimore setup man Koji Uehara for right-hander Tommy Hunter and infielder Chris Davis.

Adams was 3-1 with a 1.13 ERA in 48 relief appearances for the Padres this season. He had 49 strikeouts and nine walks as the primary setup man for Heath Bell, the All-Star closer the Rangers had long been rumored to be seeking.

''I came in this morning, honestly preparing to start being the closer. Obviously, that didn't happen,'' Adams said before San Diego's home game against Colorado. ''I'm still a little in shock about the whole situation.''

There had been countless reports leading up to Sunday's deadline that Texas was in serious discussions with the Padres and close to acquiring Bell, who will be a free agent after the season. The Rangers instead got Adams, who will be under their control through the 2012 season.

''The past couple of days so many trades went down I didn't think I would be going anywhere. But it's the baseball world. Things happen, things happen fast. I'm excited about it,'' Adams said. ''All the talk was that Heath going somewhere for a reason. ''

Texas went to its first World Series last year and has been on top of the AL West most of this season. But the Rangers' bullpen has an AL-high 19 losses along with 15 blown saves.

Neftali Feliz has converted 21 of 26 save opportunities this season. The hard-throwing right-hander last season set a major league rookie record with 40 saves. He had only three blown chances.

Uehara had a 1.72 ERA in 43 appearances for Baltimore, including a shutout streak of 15 innings in 13 outings since June 19 at Washington. The right-hander is the best among AL relievers this season with opponents hitting only .152 against him and 7.8 strikeouts for every walk.

The Rangers also likely will have him back next season. Uehara has a $4 million option for 2012 that kicks in if he pitches in 12 more games this season

Adams went 7-2 with 76 holds and a 1.31 ERA in 155 relief appearances over the past three seasons with San Diego. He held opponents to a .163 average with a .221 on-base percentage.

''He's become one of the best relievers in the game,'' Padres manager Bud Black said. ''He's put himself in a situation where he's very valuable and I see that continuing. He has great years ahead of him.''

The 33-year-old Adams is a Texas native who played baseball and basketball at Texas A&M-Kingsville. Originally drafted by Milwaukee, he also pitched in the New York Mets and Cleveland organizations before the Padres acquired him in July 2006.

''I'm going back to Texas, going back home. I'm excited about the opportunity to pitch in a pennant race,'' he said. ''This past month has been frustrating. It had become a little difficult to come to the park because I hate losing. ... Hopefully, I can step in there and give them that little extra boost they need.''

Wieland, a fourth-round pick by Texas in 2008, is 10-3 with a 1.80 ERA in 21 games this season combined at Double-A Frisco and Class A Myrtle Beach. The 21-year-old right-hander has 132 strikeouts and 15 walks in 129 2-3 innings.

Erlin also split this season between Frisco and Myrtle, going 8-4 with a 3.34 ERA. The 20-year-old left-hander, a third-round pick in 2009, has 121 strikeouts and 12 walks.

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AP freelance writer Kevin Scattareggia in San Diego contributed to this report.