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NEW YORK (Reuter) - The New York Mets pulled off two trades Wednesday, sending first baseman Rico Brogna to the Philadelphia Phillies for pitchers Ricardo Jordan and Toby Borland, and dealing right-hander Jerry DiPoto to the Colorado Rockies for pitcher Armando Reynoso.
The 26-year-old Brogna was supposed to be the first baseman of the future for the Mets, but appeared in only 55 games this season due to a torn labrum in his right shoulder that required arthroscopic surgery on July 1st. He batted .255 with seven homers and 30 RBI. He enjoyed a breakthrough season in 1995, hitting .289 with 22 home runs and 76 RBI in 134 contests. The Mets acquired Brogna from the Detroit Tigers for first baseman Alan Zinter on March 31st, 1994.
"We made a thorough medical check of his surgery and received a positive response," said Phillies general manager Lee Thomas. "Rico fills one of our needs, a first baseman with some power. Plus, he's an excellent defensive player which will improve our infield defense. Brogna's young and fits into our long-term plans."
New York receives a pair of relievers in Borland and Jordan. The 27-year-old Borland made a team-high 69 appearances for Philadelphia in 1996, posting a 7-3 record and 4.17 ERA over 90 2/3 innings. He had spent all three major-league seasons in Philadelphia.
Jordan split last season between Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre and the Phillies. In 26 outings with the big club, he went 2-2 with a 1.80 ERA in 25 innings. Jordan pitched in 15 games with the Toronto Blue Jays in 1995 before being dealt to Philadelphia in the off-season.
"We had too many look-alikes in our bullpen last year," said Mets executive vice president of baseball operations Joe McIlvaine, who also acquired reliever Greg McMichael from Atlanta on Monday. "For the hitters, there were little adjustment to make. Our quest has been to improve the bullpen more than anything else. I don't anticipate this to be the last move we make."
DiPoto completed his second season with the Mets by going 7-2 with a 4.19 ERA in 57 relief appearances, spanning 77 1/3 innings. The 28-year-old pitched his first two seasons with the Cleveland Indians before being sent to New York after the 1994 campaign.
"We are exceptionally pleased to add Jerry to our staff," said Rockies general manager Bob Gebhard. "He provides another good arm to our bullpen, and should give us a tremendous amount of depth in the late innings."
Reynoso comes to New York after four years as a starter with Colorado. This season he compiled an 8-9 mark and 4.96 ERA over 30 outings, covering 168 2/3 innings.
"Reynoso is a great insurance policy as a starter," added McIlvaine. "He is a heady pitcher who throws strikes and keeps runners on."
Meantime, the defending National League champion Atlanta Braves locked up another member of the league's best starting rotation Wednesday, signing left-hander Denny Neagle to a new four-contract with a club option for the fifth. No financial terms were announced.
Neagle was signed through the 1997 season, but the Braves tore up his contract and gave him a new deal.
The Braves acquired Neagle on August 28th from the Pittsburgh Pirates for Ron Wright, a first baseman at Double-A Greenville; Corey Pointer, a pitcher at Class-A Eugene, and a player to be named. That player turned out to be right-hander Jason Schmidt, the fifth starter on the Braves staff for a good part of the season.
Neagle went a combined 16-9 with a 3.50 ERA in 1996. For the Pirates, he was 14-6 with a 3.05 ERA in 27 starts, allowing 186 hits in 182 2/3 innings, walking 34 and striking out 131. The 28-year-old struggled for the Braves, going 2-3 with a 5.99 ERA, allowing 40 hits in 38 2/3 innings, walking 14 and striking out 18 down the stretch.
He allowed two runs and two hits over 7 2/3 innings without a decision in the National League Championship Series and allowed three runs -- two earned -- in six innings in the World Series.
The Braves re-signed NL Cy Young Award winner John Smoltz, a free agent, earlier this month. Smoltz also received a four-year deal with a club option for a fifth season, reportedly worth $31 million.
Neagle was dealt off by the Pirates in a cost-cutting move. He had gone to the Bucs in a similar measure that sent John Smiley to the Minnesota Twins for Neagle and Midre Cummings.