Rangers trade Lofton

[KFDM COOP]

Rangers trade Lofton

Rangers deal Lofton to Indians 1:13 PM CT

01:19 PM CDT on Friday, July 27, 2007

By EVAN GRANT / The Dallas Morning News

[email protected]

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The trading season has officially started for the Rangers. On Friday, four days before the deadline, the club shipped outfielder Kenny Lofton back to the Cleveland Indians for 22-year-old catcher Max Ramirez.

While the club remained in talks with the Los Angeles Angels, Dodgers and Atlanta Braves on a deal for Mark Teixeira, the trade of Lofton was the team's first of the trading period.

In Ramirez, the Rangers get a player who is considered to be much more of a hitting prospect than a catching prospect. He was in the top 10 in the Class A Carolina league in five major offensive categories: batting average (.303, 6th), on-base percentage (.418, 2nd), on-base-plus-slugging (.924, 3rd), home runs (12, T6th) and RBIs (62, 3rd). Ramirez is expected to go to Class A Bakersfield.

Cleveland had been the most persistent of suitors for Lofton. The Rangers had spoken with several other clubs about him earlier in the month, but much of that conversation faded out quickly. Lofton, 40, was hitting .303 with 21 steals and seven home runs. He is expected to play a corner outfield spot in Cleveland with Grady Sizemore entrenched in center.

Moving Lofton means the Rangers will look at Marlon Byrd in center field the rest of the way – unless they acquire a center fielder in another deal. That, however, seemed unlikely.

To replace Lofton on ther roster, the club will recall Nelson Cruz from Triple-A Oklahoma. Cruz was hitting .352 with 15 homers and 45 RBIs in 162 at-bats at Oklahoma. He hit only .188, however, in 43 games for the Rangers ealrier this season.

[JohnnyT60]

Is this Lofton's like 8th or 9th time to be traded.

[WHBaseball14]

I think his 9th.

[AJ25]

i'm surprised to see him traded, he was having a very strong season.

[KFDM COOP]

Me to.