Trailing first-place Sacramento by 12 1/2 games with only a month to go, the Las Vegas Stars officially threw in the towel on their 2000 campaign on Thursday.
How else can you explain the team's transactions before the Stars' 7-5 loss to the Edmonton Trappers before an announced paid crowd of 2,882 at Cashman Field?
Veteran relievers Vicente Palacios and Carlos Reyes were both given their outright releases before the game to help make room for pitcher Matt Whiteside, who was demoted by the San Diego Padres on Monday, and hard-throwing 6-7 right-hander Tom Davey, acquired from the Seattle Mariners in the Al Martin trade.
The 37-year-old Palacios had been the Stars' best reliever this season, compiling a 4-1 record and seven saves in 36 games. His 3.42 ERA was the third best on the squad behind only Reyes (2.86) and lefty reliever Dave Maurer (3.12).
Meanwhile, two younger pitchers who have struggled in triple-A this year after spending part of the year at double-A Mobile -- 25-year-old right-handed reliever Jayson Durocher (2-3, 5.26 ERA) and 25-year-old right-hander Domingo Guzman (3-4, 6.32 ERA, 1 save) -- remain on the squad, as does starter Brian Lawrence, summoned earlier this week from Mobile.
Stars manager Tony Franklin had a lengthy pregame closed-door meeting with Ted Simmons, the Padres' vice president of scouting and player development.
Franklin said breaking the news to Palacios and Reyes was hard but that both players understood the decision.
"It's never a good feeling," Franklin said. "I think the world of both of them. They were there when we needed them. Character on a team is so important and both of those guys showed a lot of it.
"It has nothing to do with the way they pitched. It's just part of the business we have to deal with."
Franklin denied either move was made to save the Padres' organization salary money.
And outfielder Ethan Faggett was called up from double-A Mobile to give the Stars another much-needed outfielder in place of John Curl, who went on the DL with a hyperextended right ring finger.
Pitcher Huck Flener, on the disabled list all season recovering from off-season shoulder surgery, has been sent down to Mobile to start his pitching comeback.
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