The Devil Rays won't know exactly what they got from the Dodgers for closer Danys Baez and veteran middle reliever Lance Carter for a few years, when they see how starting pitching prospects Edwin Jackson and Chuck Tiffany progress.

But after monitoring their process as they came through the Dodgers system, Los Angeles farm director Terry Collins said he expects each to be something special.

"I hated to see them go," Collins said. "As an organization, this trade was made in the best interests of the major league team. But if we were an organization building with our farm system, we don't trade these guys."

Scouts and media analysts seemed to sour on Jackson when he didn't follow up the stunning major league debut he made on his 20th birthday with more dazzling success.

But Collins thinks Jackson, who is only 22, hurt himself by trying to be too perfect and made too many changes to his mechanics. As a result, Collins said he remains confident that Jackson is very capable of being a dominating No. 1 starter.

"He is for me. He was for me," Collins said. "If he does what got him to the big leagues, he is going to be there. He has (Curt) Schilling stuff -- a 97 mph fastball and, he may not have the splitter, but he has a breaking ball and the other stuff will come with age. ... The upside is really there."

Tiffany, who just turned 21, is further away, but he could move quickly. He has shown stretches of brilliance at the lower levels of the Dodgers organization and is likely to open the 2006 season at Double-A Montgomery.

"He's a guy," Collins said, "who's got a huge upside."

What sets Tiffany apart, Collins said, is his feisty competitiveness and an innate ability to pitch with what appears to be only average stuff.

"He's (throwing) at maybe 91-92 (mph), but with a good feel for it, with a good curveball and a good changeup," Collins said. "He's a pitcher. When you see him out there throwing with Jackson and (Dodgers prospect Greg) Miller, you think, 'He has OK stuff.' But he knows how to use it. And when he's on the mound, he's a different cat. He competes."

Copyright (C) 2006 The Sports Xchange. All Rights Reserved.