Cats' Garbe traded to Seattle

NEW BRITAIN -- Underachieving New Britain Rock Cats outfielder B.J. Garbe was traded by the parent Minnesota Twins to the Seattle Mariners Tuesday for veteran catcher Pat Borders.

Garbe, who was batting .201 with three homers and 35 RBI in 114 with New Britain, will report to the Mariners' Double-A team in San Antonio.

Garbe, 23, was the Twins' first-round pick (5th overall) in the June 1999 draft. He hit .178 with three homers and 21 RBI in 66 games with the Rock Cats last season.

Borders, 41, will provide the Twins with catching insurance behind starter Henry Blanco and former Rock Cats Matthew LeCroy and Rob Bowen.

"We needed a backup in Minnesota," Rock Cats manager Stan Cliburn said. "Borders is a guy who's a winner. He's been to the World Series. He's up there in age but he's a premium clubhouse guy and can only bring good things to a club."

Cliburn said that perhaps a change of scenery would benefit Garbe, who was hitting .134 (15-for-112) with just two extra-base hits (doubles) since July 1. Garbe, who is from Moses Lake, Wash., now has a chance to play big-league ball in his home state.

Borders hit .189 with a homer and five RBI in 19 games with the Mariners. In 36 games with Triple-A Tacoma, he batted .255 with five homers and drove in 13 runs.

Borders, a career .255 hitter over 16 major-league seasons, appeared in four American League Championship Series and two World Series with the Toronto Blue Jays. He has a .321 batting average with two homers and 13 RBI in 30 postseason games.

Cliburn, whose club is now three under the Double-A roster limit of 24, is unsure whether the Rock Cats will receive a replacement. The Rock Cats, currently playing in Harrisburg, have just 10 position players.

"We have to hope nobody gets hurt," he said. "If it comes down to it, we can always forgo the designated hitter and allow the pitcher to hit."

The Rock Cats wind up their final road trip of the 2004 season on Thursday before coming home for a five-game, four-day series against the Southern Division-leading Altoona Curve.