The official release also notes the press conference is at noon, CT. I guess this is as official as it gets. Thanks to Joe Hamrahi for forwarding the release from the Brewers PR department.
MILWAUKEE - The Milwaukee Brewers today acquired right-handed pitcher Francisco Cordero, outfielders Kevin
Mench and Laynce Nix, and left-handed pitcher Julian Cordero from the Texas Rangers in exchange for outfielders Carlos
Lee and Nelson Cruz.
"With Cordero and Mench, we have acquired two players that will help us immediately at the Major League level,"
said Brewers Executive Vice President and General Manager Doug Melvin. "We are playing to win consistently now and in
the future, and we believe that this helps us accomplish these goals. With Cordero, we have a proven late-inning pitcher
who was an All-Star in 2004 and has been one of the league's most dependable relievers the past three years. And Mench
has been a consistent everyday outfielder the past two seasons with Texas."
Francisco Cordero, 31, was an All-Star in 2004 and has spent seven of his eight years in the Major Leagues with
the Rangers. His 117 saves rank third in club history. Cordero enjoyed his best season in 2004 as he posted a 2.13 ERA
while recording a team-record 49 saves, the fifth highest save total in American League history. He followed that by producing
37 saves in 2005.
With the Rangers this year, Cordero has posted a 2.87 ERA in his last 37 outings. In those 37 outings, he has
been scored upon in just eight games. As both a closer and setup man this year, Cordero's season totals include a 7-4
record with a 4.81 ERA in a team-high 49 games.
Mench, 28, has spent each of his five Major League seasons with the Rangers. He entered this season with consecutive
years of 25 or more home runs, hitting 26 in 2004 and 25 in 2005. He played in a career-high 150 games last
season, batting .264 with 25 home runs and 73 RBI.
Mench has hit .284 with 12 homers and 50 RBI in 87 games for Texas this season, including .444 (16-for-36) with
1 home run and 7 RBI over his last 10 games. He set a Major League record for right-handed batters by homering in
seven consecutive games from April 21-28 and also produced RBI in a career-high nine consecutive games (22 RBI total)
from April 20-29. Both of these feats took place during a career-high 14-game hitting streak.
Nix, 25, has spent most of the 2006 campaign at Triple A Oklahoma (Rangers affiliate) after recovering from right shoulder
surgery, hitting .269 with 10 home runs and 55 RBI in 77 games. He has also appeared in nine games with the Major
League club this year. Nix was the starting center fielder for Texas in 2005 before the shoulder injury forced him to the disabled
list for the second half of the campaign.
"Laynce in known for his hard-nose style of play," Melvin said. "He has good defensive skills, and although he is just 25, he
already has 42 doubles and 28 homers in 231 games at the Major League level."
Julian Cordero, 21, has spent the 2006 season with Class-A Clinton, posting a 2-5 record in 27 games (five starts) with a
2.91 ERA. This is his second year of professional baseball.
Lee, 30, was acquired by the Brewers in a trade with the White Sox prior to the 2005 season. In 102 games this year, he
hit .286 with 28 homers and 81 RBI for Milwaukee and was one of three Brewers players named to the National League
All-Star squad. In 2005, Lee compiled a .265 average with 32 round-trippers and 114 RBI.
Cruz, 26, has played all of the 2006 schedule with Triple-A Nashville, batting .302 with 20 home runs and 73 RBI. He saw
his first big league action last year with the Brewers, batting .200 in eight games. Cruz was acquired in a trade with the A's
prior to the 2005 season.