THURSDAY: The Rockies are paying $250K of Kouzmanoff's remaining salary, according to Troy Renck of The Denver Post (via Twitter).
TUESDAY: The Rockies have acquired third baseman Kevin Kouzmanoff and cash considerations from the A's for a player to be named or cash considerations, the teams announced. Colorado's new acquisition will report to Triple-A, according to the Rockies.
Kouzmanoff, who spends his offseasons in Evergreen, Colorado, hasn't appeared in the Majors since June 6th, when the A's optioned him to Triple-A. Before getting sent down, the 30-year-old posted a .221/.262/.353 line with four homers in 149 plate appearances. Kouzmanoff hit 75 MLB homers in total from 2007-10 and led the A's with 16 last year. He has a career line of .255/.300/.421 in six seasons.
The Rockies don't have a long-term solution at third base and they figure to give Kouzmanoff a chance at the hot corner in the Majors over the course of the season's final five weeks. It's possible that Colorado will call their new acquisition up within 24 hours.
Kouzmanoff earns $4.75MM this year and will be arbitration eligible for the final time after the season. The A's were presumably looking to obtain something of value for a player who no longer figured into their long-term plans and had become a non-tender candidate.
MLBTR has learned that Kouzmanoff recently switched agents from Adam Katz of WMG to Sosnick Cobbe Sports. Check out our Agency Database for the latest on which agents represent which players.
Martus Kurtz
forgive me for thinking that he could have been useful on the indians…
AdenverGuy
Nice now we have Ian Stewart and Kouz! add them together and you’ll get 20 hr’s and a .270 avg
drjayphd
There isn’t enough brain bleach in the world for me to erase the mental image of an unholy Stewzmanoff hybrid.
BadBadLeroyBrown
.270 avg you wish try .210 avg with 300 k’s between the 2 of them lol
Thomas W
I love this Evergreen HS yeah!
notsureifsrs
i think i’m just going to keep saying this for awhile, because they keep making me think it: the rockies are weird
Rabbitov
Liked because ‘weird’ is the exact word I’d use.
rfffr
When Oakland trades with Colorado they usually lose. Carlos Gonzalez couldn’t hit in Oakland either. Maybe the Russian can do well in Coors
Matt A.
He’s Macedonian
IdontknowwhyIpostonforums
He is Macedonian.
ellisburks
I think he is Macedonian.
TartanElk
But his nickname is “The Crushin’ Russian.”
Patrick Morgan
Naw man, back when we was with the Friars it was “The Mashin’ Macedonian.”
ellisburks
Youkilis was the Greek God of Walks but he’s Jewish so …
CaseyBlakeSnell
Wait, is he Macedonian?
TartanElk
I think he’s Italian. Or maybe some kind of Spanish.
Dan Mazzaro
I remember that game..
TartanElk
I think he’s Italian. Or maybe some kind of Spanish.
MattCMoore
I think he might be Macedonian…. At least thats what my sources are telling me…
Dan Mazzaro
Why do the Rockies always wait until late August to decide if they’re going to compete?
bigpat
They are throwing in the towel if they give Kouz any starts at the major league level.
bigpat
Why? God? Why?
mgsports
Yes they got Mark Ellis from the A’s.
Ty Wigginton is the 3B right know.
5_tool_MiLB_fool
no wonder the rockies wont ever contend they always get rusted up pieces from the A’s! (with the exception of CarGo)
Zac Tiberius Sutton
Wait, Kouz and cash for a PTBNL or cash? That sounds kinda…weird, right? “We’ll send you some cash, and if we don’t like what we see of the list of guys you give us, you’ll send it back to us, with interest.”
TheReturnOfMrBlanks
Kouz is going to rake at Coors field, give him a shot it might work!
Randy
so now you owe the A’s 2 players to be named later 1 from the ellis trade still
D.j. Wilson
Lets’s call them the Colorado A’s: Jason Giambi, Carlos Gonzalez, Huston Street, Mark Ellis, Kevin Kouzmanoff…
Rabbitov
When they had Wigginton and Mora we called them the Colorado Orioles.
corey23
LATER KOUZ!!! thank god, i was tired of him stinking up Sacramento with that bat of his. Nice guy but just not that good.
jeffmaz
He was hitting .302 with 13 home runs in 61 ABs. How horrible is that?
Roy R
13 home runs in 61 ABs is a lot different to 13 home runs in 61 games (which is what he has actually done).
Hormel
sorry for the mixup
I agree, .302 and 13 home runs in 61 games is horrible
Ricardo Elorza
I was going to post that Kouz has played all his career in extreme pitchers parks and know will call Coors his home… then I noticed he’s 30. When did this happen?
John DiRienzo
July 25, 2011.
BadBadLeroyBrown
A 3rd baseman getting demoted for a 2nd baseman to play 3B….depressing
Guest 6655
Anyone else see the Rox moving him for Wandy? They don’t really have room for him….
Guest 6654
Anyone else see the Rox dealing him for Wandy?
Bill Konigsberg
No. The Rockies are seeking lightning in a bottle at the hot corner for a possible playoff run, even though they’ve been terrible this year. This move actually makes a little sense. They’ve been giving Chris Nelson some looks at third and he’s probably not the answer… with Ian Stewart done and Josh Fields the next best thing at AAA, Kouzmanoff seems like a reasonable gamble as someone to spell Ty Wigginton down the stretch.
Triple Hawpes Brewed
“led the A’s with 16 HR’s…” geez how pathetic is the A’s offense?!
tiduss
Guess. Just guess how pathetic it is with what you just said.