The Phillies have finished a deal sending outfielder Shane Victorino to the Dodgers for reliever Josh Lindblom and minor-league right-hander Ethan Martin, according to CBSSports.com sources.
The move is the first of what could be a flurry of them today for the Phillies while the Dodgers continue to fortify a roster they believe can get them deep into October.
The Phillies are also engaged in talks about pitcher Joe Blanton, outfielder Hunter Pence and others. Though once Victorino is gone, dealing another outfielder seems far-fetched.
The aggressive Dodgers, meanwhile, remain zeroed in on Cubs right-hander Ryan Dempster after acquiring Hanley Ramirez from the Marlins last week and, in another late-night strike, reliever Brandon League from the Mariners late Monday.
Victorino, 31, is hitting .261 with a .324 on-base percentage, nine homers and 40 RBI for the Phillies this season. A free agent this winter, Victorino could play left field for the Dodgers (Matt Kemp surely will stay in center field). Left field has been something of a revolving door for the Dodgers this season with Juan Rivera, Tony Gwynn Jr. and Bobby Abreu spinning through at various times.
The move will bring Victorino back to his baseball roots as well as reunite him with former Phillies coach and current Dodgers' first base coach Davey Lopes. Victorino was a sixth-round pick of the Dodgers in 1999 but the Padres scooped him up in the 2002 Rule V draft and he went to the Phillies in the 2004 Rule V draft.
With Lopes in Philly, Victorino emerged into a star and a key cog in Philadelphia's 2008 World Series title team and in the '09 club that lost the World Series to the Yankees.
The move also brings Victorino to Hollywood, and who knows? The Flyin' Hawaiian guested in a spot for Hawaii Five-O last winter.
Lindblom, 25, is 2-2 with a 3.02 ERA in 48 appearances for the Dodgers this season.
Martin, 23, was the Dodgers' first-round pick (15th overall) in the 2010 draft. In 20 starts for Double-A Chattanooga this season, Martin is 8-6 with a 3.58 ERA. He's fanned 112 and walked 61 hitters in 118 innings.
Lindblom was ranked eighth among the Dodgers' top 30 prospects for 2012 by Baseball America, and Martin was ranked 17th.
Dodgers acquire Victorino from Phillies
The Phillies are close to sending outfielder Shane Victorino to the Dodgers for reliever Josh Lindblom and one other player, sources tell CBSSports.com. ...
By
Scott Miller
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1 min read