By Will Kimmey
July 13, 2003

Five years after playing in the inaugural Futures Game in 1999, Ben Petrick made news again on the day of the event. This time, the Rockies traded him to the Tigers for Adam Bernero.

In Petrick, Detroit gets a player once considered Colorado's catcher of the future. Petrick, 25, should add some much-needed pop to a lineup that ranks last in the majors in runs and homers. Selected in the second round out of an Oregon high school in 1995, he ranked as the Rockies' No. 3 prospect before the 1997 and 1998 seasons. But he subsequently developed throwing problems and has spent more time playing the outfield and first base this year at Triple-A Colorado Springs, where he hit .259-11-40 in 80 games. Petrick went 0-for-2 with the Rockies this year, bringing his big league totals to .264-5-23 in 197 games. He has a good eye at the plate to go with his power, and figures to serve the Tigers as an extra catcher and outfielder.

Bernero was on the verge of losing his spot in Detroit's rotation after going 1-12, 6.08 in 18 outings, and he'll work out of the Colorado bullpen. Bernero, a 26-year-old righthander, signed with the Tigers as a nondrafted free agent out of Armstrong Atlantic State (Ga.) in 1999 and reached the big leagues just one year later. He throws a sinker that tops out around 92 mph, and a solid breaking ball. He struggles at times by falling behind in the count and doesn't have an effective out pitch. In his 63-game big league career, he has gone 5-20, 5.93 with a 151-89 strikeout-walk ratio and a .285 opponent average in 249 innings.