NEW YORK (AP) - The Detroit Tigers traded right-hander Jason Grilli to the Colorado Rockies on Wednesday for minor league pitcher Zachary Simons.
Grilli is 0-1 with a 3.29 ERA in nine games this season. The 31-year-old has a 13-13 record with a 5.08 ERA in 135 career games, 16 starts."Jason adds a quality arm to our club," Rockies general manager Dan O'Dowd said. "He can do a variety of different things in our bullpen."
Simons, a second-round pick by Colorado in the 2005 draft, was assigned to Class A Lakeland.
The Tigers said reliever Francisco Cruceta will come off the restricted list and join the team in New York on Thursday. Cruceta, from the Dominican Republic, had trouble getting his work visa this spring. He was assigned to Triple-A Toledo on April 22.
Detroit manager Jim Leyland wished Grilli nothing but the best.
"We had to make a spot," Leyland said. "We decided rather than send somebody out if there was an opportunity, which came up I guess pretty late, it would be better to trade Jason. He's going to a big league club, he's staying in the big leagues and it couldn't happen to a better kid."
