WHITE SOX ACQUIRE INFIELDER ALEX CINTRON FROM ARIZONA IN EXCHANGE FOR PITCHER JEFF BAJENARU
TUCSON – The Chicago White Sox have acquired infielder Alex Cintron from the Arizona Diamondbacks in exchange for pitcher Jeff Bajenaru.
Cintron, a 27-year-old switch-hitter, batted .273 (90-330) with 19 doubles, eight home runs and 48 RBI in 122 games with Arizona in 2005. He played in 39 games (31 starts) at shortstop, 32 (18 starts) at third base and 23 (15 starts) at second base.
Cintron also hit .304 (14-46) with three home runs and 12 RBI as a pinch-hitter. He tied for the National League lead among pinch-hitters in home runs, tied for third in RBI and ranked ninth in average.
The 6-foot-1, 205-pound Cintron is a lifetime .279 (398-1,424) hitter with 25 home runs and 152 RBI in 439 games, all with Arizona. During his five major-league seasons, he has played in 280 games at shortstop, 69 at second base and 58 at third.
Cintron is a .313 (125-399) hitter from the right side of the plate and a .266 (273-1,025) hitter from the left side. His best season came in 2003 when he hit .317 (142-448) with 13 home runs and 51 RBI. He played in a career-high 154 games with Arizona in 2004.
A native of Humacao, Puerto Rico, Cintron currently is playing for his country at the inaugural World Baseball Classic. He originally was selected by the Diamondbacks in the 36th round of the 1997 draft.
Bajenaru, who will turn 28 on March 21, spent most of the 2005 season at Class AAA Charlotte, going 4-6 with a 1.41 ERA (11 ER/70.1 IP), 19 saves and 83 strikeouts in 61 relief appearances. The right-hander also pitched in four games with the White Sox, allowing three earned runs in 4.1 IP.
Bajenaru is 16-15 with a 2.42 ERA (70 ER/260.0 IP), 72 saves and 314 strikeouts in 218 career minor-league games, all in relief. In 13 appearances with the Sox, he has gone 0-1 with a 9.24 ERA (13 ER/12.2 IP).