Expos Trade Raines to White Sox

Tim Raines was traded from the Montreal Expos to the Chicago White Sox on Sunday night for outfielder Ivan Calderon and pitcher Barry Jones, the Associated Press learned.

The deal, which had been discussed since the winter meetings earlier this month, was completed when Raines agreed to a three-year contract worth more than $10 million.

Sources in both California and Chicago confirmed the trade, which is scheduled to be announced today.

As part of the deal, Montreal will get Jeff Carter, a minor league pitcher, and another minor league player to be determined.

Raines hit .287 for the Expos last season with nine home runs and 62 runs batted in. In 10 seasons, Raines has a lifetime average of .301 and has averaged 63 stolen bases.

Calderon hit .273 with 14 homers and 74 RBIs last season. In 1987, he emerged as a power hitter with 28 home runs and 83 RBIs.

The White Sox acquired Calderon from Seattle in July 1986, completing a deal that sent catcher Scott Bradley to the Mariners.

Jones, 27, was 11-4 with a 2.31 earned-run average and one save last season. Jones was used as a setup man for Bobby Thigpen, who set a major league record with 57 saves.

Raines has been the subject of trade rumors for the past three seasons as the Expos tried to unload some of their expensive veterans.

The White Sox were close to making the deal during the winter meetings in Chicago, but backed off after acquiring outfielder Cory Snyder from Cleveland for pitchers Eric King and Shawn Hillegas.

Chicago Manager Jeff Torborg said earlier this month he would bat Raines leadoff if the Sox could get him.

Carter, 26, is a right-handed pitcher who was 8-3 at double-A Jacksonville last season with a 1.84 ERA in 52 games.

Ron Schueler, Chicago’s new general manager, would neither confirm nor deny the deal.

“There will be a press conference tomorrow morning,” he said Sunday night.

Tom Reich, Raines’ agent, also refused to confirm if the trade had been completed, saying only that there had been discussions.

Raines, a seven-time All-Star, had spent his entire career with the Expos. He was taken in the fifth round of the June 1977 amateur draft and made it to the big leagues for good in 1981.

He has batted .300 or better five times in 10 full seasons, and led the National League with a .334 average in 1986.

The next season, he was the victim of the owners’ collusion against free agents and missed the month of April. He signed on May 1 and that afternoon he had four hits and drove in five runs against the New York Mets, including a game-winning grand slam.

Raines led the NL in runs scored in 1983 and in 1987, even though he missed a month.

The Expos originally had wanted pitcher Melido Perez as part of the deal, but it came together once they were convinced to take Jones.