By Josh Boyd
March 25, 2003

With spring training in its final week, roster spots are becoming scarce, so it's decision time on major league Rule 5 picks. The Braves decided they didn't have room for righthander Chris Spurling in their bullpen after selecting him from the Pirates in December. Instead of returning him to Pittsburgh for $25,000, Atlanta traded him to Detroit on Tuesday for Class A lefthander Matt Coenen.

Spurling, 25, made his eighth spring appearance for the Braves on Tuesday, coincidentally facing the Tigers. He posted a 3.12 ERA in nine innings this spring, walking just one while fanning six. Originally signed by the Yankees as a 41st-round draft-and-follow out of Sinclair (Ohio) CC in 1998, Spurling was dealt to the Pirates for Luis Sojo in 2000. Armed with a low-90s fastball and good slider, Spurling went 4-3, 2.19 with 60 strikeouts and 12 walks in 71 innings for Double-A Altoona last year. He's the fourth big league Rule 5 pick on the Tigers roster now, joining third baseman Travis Chapman, lefthander Wil Ledezma and righty Matt Roney.

Coenen, 22, was a 2001 second-round pick out of Charleston Southern. Though he hasn't matched his low-90s radar-gun readings from college, the Tigers had been pleased with his progress. Working with an average fastball, slurvy breaking ball and developing changeup, the 6-foot-6, 230-pounder posted a 14-8, 3.38 mark for low Class A West Michigan last year. He held hitters to a .240 average, walked 65 and struck out 141 in 165 innings.