[ MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL ]
PITTSBURGH >> Mike Fetters, who makes his offseason home in Gilbert, Ariz., was never thrilled about leaving the West Coast when he was traded from Los Angeles to Pittsburgh last year. Fetters gets another
shot at contendingBenny Agbayani gets sent down
to Triple-A by Colorado RockiesFrom staff and wire reports
Now he won't be pitching far from his backyard.
The Pittsburgh Pirates dealt the Iolani School alumnus to the Arizona Diamondbacks for prospect Duaner Sanchez last night.
"That's a real big thing for me," Fetters told MLB.com. "I've got a wife and four kids, so to play at home is too perfect, almost."
Fetters is 1-0 -- with his only win coming Friday -- with a 3.26 ERA in 32 relief appearances this season and was 2-1 in 52 games for the Pirates since they acquired him from the Dodgers for Terry Mulholland last season.
The 37-year-old Fetters was initially upset with that deal, which sent him from a contender to a tail-ender. But this trade sends him home to pitch for the defending World Series champions.
"I've been in this game for a while, but I've never been (to the playoffs)," Fetters told the Associated Press. "Hopefully, this will be my time."
While Fetters took a step closer to his first appearance in the playoffs, former St. Louis School and Hawaii Pacific University star Benny Agbayani took a step back from returning to the stage he shared in 2000 with the New York Mets.
Agbayani was sent to Triple-A Colorado Springs by the Colorado Rockies yesterday after batting .205 with four homers in the first half of the season.
He missed four weeks because of a sore hamstring and spent eight games playing for Colorado Springs while rehabbing it, hitting .321.
