Vets Have No Problems Dodging Draft

When last seen together, Tony Saunders and Brian Anderson were pitching in the snow during Game 4 of the World Series.

They were linked again Tuesday amid palm trees and cactuses as the top two picks in baseball’s expansion draft.

The Tampa Bay Devil Rays made Saunders the overall No. 1 choice, taking the rookie left-hander three weeks after he helped the Florida Marlins complete their five-year zoom from expansion losers to World Series winners.

“It’s an honor,” said Saunders, reunited with Tampa Bay Manager Larry Rothschild, the Marlin pitching coach until this month. “That tells me I must have done something right, that they wanted me before anybody else.”

The Arizona Diamondbacks followed by choosing Anderson, a 25-year-old left-hander not protected by the Cleveland Indians.

“I enjoyed my time in Cleveland,” he said. “I’m looking forward to being on a team that’s just starting out.”

Young pitching was at a premium early, and prospects far outnumbered veterans as both teams made 14 picks in the first round. Angel knuckleballer Dennis Springer (Tampa Bay) and White Sox catcher Jorge Fabregas (Arizona), another former Angel, were the only players over 27 years old taken.

Stars such as Fred McGriff, Eric Karros and Eric Davis reportedly were passed over. But there was a chance big-name players would later be among the 35 picks by each team, and that could set into motion a lot of trades.

Arizona took Dodger outfield prospect Karim Garcia with its fifth pick.

NL Cy Young winner Pedro Martinez of Montreal, Marlin pitcher Kevin Brown and Cleveland third baseman Matt Williams were mentioned prominently in trade speculation. No deals were allowed to be announced, however, until after the draft ended.

Boston pitcher Jeff Suppan and New York Met pitcher Cory Lidle were taken in the opening round by Arizona, which will play in the NL West. Colorado outfielder Quinton McCracken and Houston outfielder Bob Abreu were picked by Tampa Bay, which will be in the AL East.

The cash-rich Diamondbacks, who signed free-agent shortstop Jay Bell to a $34-million, five-year contract Monday, were also closing in on free-agent reliever Roberto Hernandez.

The draft was held at the Phoenix Civic Plaza, right across the street from the Diamondbacks’ new Bank One Ballpark. Unlike the NFL draft, which sparks wild cheers and boos from the fans’ gallery, there was little reaction to the lesser-known picks by the 75 supporters from both Tampa Bay and Arizona.

At least baseball tried to make the fans feel comfortable, decorating the hall with palm trees and cactuses.

Tampa Bay, given the No. 1 pick when Arizona won the coin toss and elected to take the second and third choices, got off to a nice start with Saunders.

Saunders went 4-6 with a 4.61 earned-run average in his first season in the majors, though he gained a lot of notoriety by going 3-0 with a 1.65 ERA against Atlanta. He was in Florida’s postseason rotation, and started and lost Game 4 of the World Series at Cleveland.

Saunders thought he was on the Marlins’ 15-man protected list, but found out differently when the Marlins called him on his cell phone Tuesday while he was at a mall in Maryland taking Christmas pictures with his 3 1/2-month-old daughter.

With Tampa Bay, he’ll get to work again with Rothschild, who recommended Saunders.

“I think a lot of it had to do with him,” Saunders said. “He knows me personally and he knows me professionally. He knows what he’s getting.”

Rothschild likes that package.

“A lot was made about how he pitched against the Braves, but he’s capable of pitching that way against anybody,” Rothschild said.

Anderson was 4-2 with a 4.69 ERA in eight starts for Cleveland, then sparkled in the postseason. He had a 2.45 ERA in three relief appearances in the World Series, earning a save with three scoreless innings in the Indians’ 10-3 victory over Saunders and the Marlins in Game 4.

Indian General Manager John Hart thought Anderson might be taken.

“We felt on our ballclub we had a nucleus of star-quality players in the primes of their career who played a full season together and went to the World Series. We felt this is a club we’d like to return from a position standpoint intact,” Hart said.

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX / INFOGRAPHIC)

Arizona Diamondback Picks

* PITCHERS--1. Tony Saunders (L, Florida); 7. Jason Johnson (R, Pittsburgh); 9. Esteban Yan (R, Baltimore); 13. Dennis Springer (R, Angels); 14. Dan Carlson (R, San Francisco); 15. Brian Boehringer (R, N.Y. Yankees); 16. Mike Duvall (L, Florida); 17. John LeRoy (R, Atlanta); 18. Jim Mecir (R, Boston); 19. Bryan Rekar (R, Colorado); 20. Rick Gorecki (R, Dodgers); 21. Ramon Tatis (L, Chicago Cubs); 24. Albie Lopez (R, Cleveland); 25. Jose Paniagua (R, Montreal); 27. Ryan Karp (L, Philadelphia); 28. Santos Hernandez (R, San Francisco); 30. Terrell Wade (L, Atlanta); 35. Vaughn Eshelman (L, Oakland).

* CATCHER--10. Mike DiFelice (C, St. Louis).

* INFIELD--4. Miguel Cairo (2b, Chicago Cubs); 6. Bobby Smith (ss, Atlanta); 8. Dmitri Young (1b, Cincinnati).; 12. Andy Sheets (ss, Seattle); 23. Steve Cox (1b, Oakland); 31. Aaron Ledesma (ss, Baltimore); 32. Brooks Kieschnick (1b-of, Chicago Cubs); 34. Herbert Perry (1b, Cleveland).

* OUTFIELD--2. Quinton McCracken (Colorado); 3. Bob Abreu (Houston); 5. Rich Butler (Toronto); 11. Bubba Trammell, of (Detroit); 22. Kerry Robinson (St. Louis); 26. Carlos Mendoza (N.Y. Mets); 29. Randy Winn (Florida); 33. Luke Wilcox (N.Y. Yankees).

Tampa Bay Devil Ray Picks

* PITCHERS--1. Brian Anderson (L, Cleveland): 2. Jeff Suppan (R, Boston); 7. Cory Lidle (R, N.Y. Mets); 8. Joel Adamson (L, Milwaukee); 9. Ben Ford (R, N.Y. Yankees); 11. Neil Weber (L, Montreal); 12. Jason Boyd (R, Philadelphia); 15. Tom Martin (L, Houston); 16. Omar Daal (L, Toronto); 17. Scott Winchester (R, Cincinnati); 18. Clint Sodowsky (R, Pittsburgh); 20. Matt Drews (R, Detroit); 21. Todd Erdos (R, San Diego); 22. Chris Clemons (R, Chicago White Sox); 25. Hector Carrasco (R, Kansas City); 27. Bob Wolcott (R, Seattle); 30. Jesus Martinez (L, Dodgers); 31. Russ Springer (R, Houston); 32. Bryan Corey (R, Detroit); 34. Chuck McElroy (L, Chicago White Sox); 35. Marty Janzen (R, Toronto).

* CATCHERS--4. Jorge Fabregas (Chicago White Sox); 24. Damian Miller (Minnesota); 33. Kelly Stinnett (Milwaukee).

* INFIELD--3. Gabe Alvarez (3b, San Diego); 6. Edwin Diaz (2b, Texas); 14. Tony Batista (ss, Oakland); 19. Danny Klassen (ss, Milwaukee); 26. Hanley Frias (ss, Texas); 28. Mike Bell (3b, Angels); 29. Joe Randa (3b, Pittsburgh).

* OUTFIELD--5. Karim Garcia (Dodgers); 10. Yamil Benitez (Kansas City); 13. Brent Brede (of-1b, Minnesota); 23. David Dellucci (Baltimore).

A look at Tuesday’s selections by Arizona and Tampa Bay: