The Cubs backing up the truck started up big time left-hander Ted Lilly was traded to the Dodgers by the Cubs on Saturday along with infielder Ryan Theriot for infielder Blake DeWitt and minor league right-handers Kyle Smit and Brett Wallach. Lilly pitched for Torre with the New York Yankees.Los Angeles also received approximately $2.5 million cash to cover part of what remains in Lilly’s $12 million salary. Los Angeles general manager Ned Colletti was looking to bolster his starting rotation by the trade deadline.Third in the NL West, the Dodgers already acquired former White Sox center fielder and leadoff man Scott Podsednik from Kansas City on Wednesday. Theriot is slated to be the team’s everyday second baseman, while Lilly could make his Los Angeles debut as soon as Tuesday night at Dodger Stadium against the first-place San Diego Padres.
“Hopefully it makes us better,” Torre said before the Dodgers played the San Francisco Giants. “That’s all you can do. I just talked to Theriot and he’s excited. Hopefully Ted Lilly will give us a little more stability in our rotation. I had Teddy before and I’ll tell you one thing, he’s a competitor.”
Lilly is 3-8 with a 3.69 ERA and hasn’t won since June 13. He pitched 5 2/3 scoreless innings against Houston on Tuesday and has allowed four earned runs over his last 16 innings. He is eligible for free agency after the season.Theriot has a .284 average with one homer and 21 RBI.The 24-year-old DeWitt, a first-round pick in the 2004 amateur draft who bats left-handed, is batting .270 with 15 doubles, one homer and 30 RBI. He hit .295 with a triple, three doubles and six RBIs in 21 games in July.DeWitt isn’t sure what to expect with the Cubs, considering this is the first trade of his career.
“This is the first time anything like this has ever happened to me. It definitely comes as a little surprise,” DeWitt said shortly after receiving the news. “I haven’t really had time to gather my thoughts yet. … It happened. I appreciated the opportunity I had here. I had a lot of fun here and I look forward to the opportunity in Chicago.”
Also, the New York Yankees have found a deal in Cleveland to acquire former Cub Kerry Wood.The deal has cleared the last hurdle, approval by the Commissioner’s Office, and Wood is on his way to the Bronx. The Yankees will send a player to be named later or cash to the Indians.The Yankees also reportedly will cover $1.5 million of the $3.6 million the Indians still owe Wood on his $10.5 million 2010 salary.Wood is the third player scooped up by the Yanks in the past 24 hours, following Houston’s Lance Berkman and Wood’s former teammate in Cleveland, outfielder Austin Kearns.Wood simply will add depth to a Yankees’ bullpen as they gear up for the stretch run. In 23 appearances for the Indians this season, Wood was 1-4 with a 6.30 ERA and eight saves in 11 opportunities. He recently returned from the disabled list, where he was placed because of a blister on his finger.