Baseball: Canseco is traded to Rangers

JOSE CANSECO, no stranger to controversy during his 10 years with the Oakland Athletics, was traded to the Texas Rangers on Monday in a move that stunned the player, his team-mates, the Oakland fans and the rest of baseball.

Oakland will receive the outfielder Ruben Sierra - a free agent after the season - pitcher Bobby Witt, reliever Jeff Russell and cash in return for the right fielder, a two-time AL home-run champion who was hitting .246 this season with 22 homers and 72 RBIs.

'It wasn't one of my happiest days, telling Jose he was involved in a trade,' the A's manager Tony La Russa said. 'But I think this sets us up better for the post-season.'