Salt Lake Bees' Rodriguez sent to Rays to complete trade

ANAHEIM, Calif. — The Los Angeles Angels have sent minor league second baseman Sean Rodriguez to the Tampa Bay Rays to complete last week's trade for Scott Kazmir.

The Rays said Tuesday that Rodriguez will report to Triple-A Durham.

Tampa Bay traded Kazmir, their former ace, to the AL West leaders on Aug. 28 for two minor leaguers and a player to be named.

The 24-year-old Rodriguez was hitting .299 with 29 home runs and 93 RBIs in 103 games at Triple-A Salt Lake. He ranked second in the Pacific Coast League in home runs and slugging percentage (.616), and tied for third in RBIs. Rodriguez also had 17 doubles, six triples and scored 81 runs with the Bees. He played a total of nine games in two separate stints for the Angels this season and hit two homers with four RBIs.

ROCKIES ACTIVATE GIAMBI: Jason Giambi insists he won't mind being a backup in a new league.

"There is no small role when you're in a pennant race," the former American League MVP said Tuesday after the Colorado Rockies added him to their roster.

Giambi, who has never played in the National League, gives the Rockies another veteran leader in the clubhouse, a powerful pinch-hitter and an accomplished first baseman who can spell Todd Helton at times.

Manager Jim Tracy has tried to give Helton regular rests this season so he doesn't have a recurrence of the back problems that plagued him last season. Before Giambi's arrival, that always meant juggling his lineup and the defense.

"I'm excited to be here, come and just fit in, be part of a team, especially a team in the pennant race and as great a team as they have clubhouse-wise," Giambi said. "Talking to Todd, I remember talking to him playing against them this year, and he just said the group of guys is incredible here. That's one of the things that steered me toward here, getting a chance to play with these guys."

The Rockies entered their game against the New York Mets on Tuesday night tied with the San Francisco Giants for the NL wild-card lead.

The 38-year-old Giambi signed with the Rockies on Aug. 24 and reported to Triple-A Colorado Springs, where he hit .444 (8-for-18) with four RBIs and six walks in six games. He hit homers in back-to-back games Aug. 29-30.

"I wanted to get back in the swing of things. I had been out for almost a month. It was nice to get down there, get playing baseball again," Giambi said.