Small-market clubs turn into buyers

Associated Press

Michael Bourn went from the bottom of the NL Central in Houston to the top of the wild-card standings with Atlanta — and he wasn’t the only player who suddenly found himself in a pennant race.

Ubaldo Jimenez, Erik Bedard, Rafael Furcal and Mike Adams were also on the move at the end of a topsy-turvy weekend, when the surprising Indians, Pirates and Diamondbacks made some of the boldest moves at baseball’s trade deadline, shedding those longtime seller tags and shopping for immediate help.

All in all, it was a relatively quiet deadline day as the non-waiver cutoff came and went Sunday. The biggest deals came days earlier when All-Star outfielders Carlos Beltran and Hunter Pence changed teams.

Among the big names staying put after weeks of speculation: Padres closer Heath Bell, Tampa Bay outfielder B.J. Upton and Astros lefty Wandy Rodriguez.

And standing pat — unusually — were the New York Yankees, content to try and catch Boston in the AL East with a rotation that has reclamation projects Bartolo Colon and Freddy Garcia at the back end.

“I’m very confident with the position I’ve taken,” Yankees general manager Brian Cashman said. “It’s not like I’m blowing smoke, trying to promote our guys. ... No, I believe in our guys.”

The Indians don’t seem concerned about recent reports that Jimenez, who was 19-8 and an All-Star a year ago, has seen his velocity drop and his ERA rise this year. He is 6-9 with a 4.46 ERA in 21 starts. He had a 2.88 ERA in 2010.

Division-rival Detroit made a move, too, getting right-hander Doug Fister from Seattle on Saturday and will add him to the rotation. The Tigers also received reliever David Pauley for two prospects and a player to be named.

The Diamondbacks bolstered their bullpen, adding Oakland submariner Brad Ziegler as they chase the World Series champion Giants in the NL West. On Saturday, Arizona obtained Jason Marquis from the Nationals.

“We’re trying to get better and trying to make the bullpen better,” Diamondbacks manager Kirk Gibson said. “I think you’re seeing an effort by the organization to try and let us continue to do what we’ve done and go beyond what we’ve done. So that part of it energizes you.”

In other deals Sunday:

The AL East-leading Red Sox picked up Bedard after a deal for Rich Harden fell through late Saturday. Six prospects were involved in a three-team, seven-player trade involving the Los Angeles Dodgers.

The St. Louis Cardinals acquired Furcal, a two-time All-Star shortstop, from the Dodgers for Double-A outfielder Alex Castellanos.

Texas further bolstered its bullpen a day after adding Baltimore right-hander Koji Uehara by dealing for Adams, San Diego’s stellar setup man.

Adams, who was 3-1 with a 1.13 ERA in 48 games for the Padres, will be under Texas’ control through next season. The Padres received minor league pitchers Robbie Erlin and Joe Wieland.