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Rockies acquire RHP Zach Putnam from Cleveland for RHP Kevin Slowey and cash considerations

Putnam Was Recently Ranked as the Indians' 10th-Best Prospect by Baseball America

DENVER - The Colorado Rockies announced today that the club has acquired right-handed pitcher Zach Putman from Cleveland in exchange for right-handed pitcher Kevin Slowey. Putnam will be added to the Rockies 40-man roster.

Putnam, 24, spent the majority of the 2011 season at Triple-A Columbus, where he went 6-3 with a 3.65 ERA (69.0 ip, 28 er), 23 walks and 68 strikeouts in 44 games. The 6-foot-2 right-hander finished the 2011 season in the Majors with Cleveland, appearing in eight games and going 1-1 with a 6.14 ERA (7.1 ip, 5 er), 2 walks and 9 strikeouts. With Triple-A Columbus, Putnam held opposing hitters to a .233 opponents batting average, with lefties batting just .205 and right-handers hitting .253. Putnam has gone 16-8 with a 3.83 ERA (235.0 ip, 100 er) in 122 career Minor League games/15 starts. He owns an 8.46 strikeouts per 9.0 innings pitched ratio (221 so, 235.0 ip) and a 3.30 strikeout per walk ratio (221 so, 67 bb) in his Minor League career.

The Rochester, MI native was originally selected by the Indians in the fifth round of the 2008 First-Year Player Draft out of the University of Michigan. Putnam was recently rated by Baseball America as the Indians' 10th-best prospect following the 2011 season. He was a two-time (2007-08) All-Big Ten selection as a pitcher and as a designated hitter at Michigan, as well as the 2008 Big Ten Pitcher of the Year.

Slowey, 27, was acquired by Colorado on December 6, 2011 in exchange for a player to be named later (Daniel Turpen). He has a career record of 39-29 with a 4.66 ERA (532.2 ip, 276 er), 84 walks and 395 strikeouts in 90 career starts and 10 relief outings over five seasons, all coming with Minnesota. In 2011 Slowey 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 the Twins in the second round, 73rd overall, in the 2005 First-Year Player Draft out of Winthrop University.

The Rockies 40-man roster remains at 40.
 

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