CINCINNATI, Aug. 15 (UPI) -- The Cincinnati Reds, continuing their efforts to strengthen the starting rotation, Thursday acquired lefthander Shawn Estes from the New York Mets for a pair of minor leaguers, southpaw Pedro Feliciano and outfielder Elvin Andujar, and two players to be named later.
Reds General Manager Jim Bowden said that the Mets will assume the remainder of Estes' $6.2 million salary, which was a crucial factor for the Reds. The franchise's hierarchy has been reluctant to increase the team's payroll of approximately $45 million.
Estes, 29, was 4-9 with a 4.55 ERA and one shutout in 23 games, all starts. In his last five starts, he was 1-2 with a 2.64 ERA.
Estes, who joined the Mets before this season after spending 1995-2001 with San Francisco, owns a career record of 68-59 with a 4.29 ERA.
An All-Star in 1997 for the Giants, Estes is 68-59 with a 4.29 ERA, 10 complete games, and seven shutouts in 183 Major League appearances, all starts, for the Giants (1995-2001) and Mets (2002). His 40 victories in the 1990s was the second-most by a Giants lefthander. Kirk Rueter had 45.
Last month, the Reds obtained righthanders Ryan Dempster from Florida and Brian Moehler from Detroit in an attempt to shore up their rotation. Cincinnati's starters rank last in the National League in innings pitched and have pitched at least seven innings only 18 times. Since the All-Star break, Reds starters are 9-21 with a 5.14 ERA.
Feliciano, 25, has split the season between Triple-A Louisville of the International League, where he was 1-1 with a 3.04 ERA in 20 games, and Double-A Chattanooga of the Southern League, where he went 2-1 with a 2.56 ERA with four saves in 28 games. His combined record is 3-2 with an ERA of 2.76 and four saves in 48 relief outings.
Andujar, 21, hit .286 with five homers and 20 RBI in 40 games for Single-A Billings.
Because of the financial structure of the deal. it required the approval of Major League Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig.
