Rockies send RHP Daniel Turpen to Minnesota to complete trade for RHP Kevin Slowey

The Colorado Rockies announced today that the club has finalized the trade with the Minnesota Twins by sending right-handed pitcher Daniel Turpen to Minnesota in exchange for right-handed pitcher Kevin Slowey.

Turpen, 25, went 2-4 with a 4.83 ERA (59.2 ip, 32 er) and was 11-for-16 in save opportunities in 48 games/1 start for Double-A Tulsa in 2011. The right-hander was selected in the Rule 5 draft by the New York Yankees in 2010 and spent Spring Training with New York's Major League club before being returned to the Red Sox in late Spring. Turpen was sent to the Rockies in a trade with Boston for catcher Michael McKenry prior to the 2011 season. Over his five year Minor League career he owns a record of 18-16 with a 3.25 ERA (298.2 ip, 108 er) in 204 appearances/1 start, holding hitters to a .261 average. He has 28 career saves and all but one of his appearances have come as a reliever. Turpen was originally selected in the eighth round of the 2007 Draft by San Francisco.

Slowey, 27, has a career record of 39-29 with a 4.66 ERA (532.2 ip, 276 er) in 90 career starts and 10 relief outings over five seasons, all coming with Minnesota. Slowey has 395 career strikeouts and 84 walks in his 532.2 innings. His 1.42 walks per 9.0 innings pitched mark is the second-lowest among all Major League pitchers since 2007, behind only Roy Halladay's 1.41. Additionally, his 4.70 walks to strikeout ratio over that same period ranks third in the Majors. In his career, Slowey has three 10-win seasons and has recorded three complete games, two of which were shutouts. Slowey has tossed quality starts in 37 of his 90 career starts and has held hitters to a .285 average.

In 2011, the Conroe, TX native went 0-8 with a 6.67 ERA (59.1 ip, 44 er) in eight starts and six relief appearances while striking out 34 compared to walking five. Slowey also saw time in 11 rehab starts between Single-A Fort Myers and Triple-A Rochester combining to go 1-3 with a 3.60 ERA (50.0 ip, 20 er) working back from an abdominal strain. Slowey was originally selected by Minnesota in the second round, 73rd overall, in the 2005 First-Year Player Draft out of Winthrop University.

The Rockies now have 38 players on their 40-man roster.