Casey Blake to the Dodgers?

[fearofpopvol1]

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=3506150

The Cleveland Indians are closing in on a trade that would send third baseman/outfielder Casey Blake and cash to the Los Angeles Dodgers for two minor leaguers, according to a source with knowledge of the deal.

The teams were in the process of finalizing the deal early Saturday and it appeared the trade could be completed by the end of the day.

The Indians were believed to be receiving minor league catcher Carlos Santana and right-handed pitcher Jon Meloan. Santana is hitting .323, with 14 homers, for Inland Empire, in the Class A California League. The hard-throwing Meloan is 5-10, with a 4.97 ERA, at Triple-A Las Vegas -- but has piled up 335 strikeouts in only 262 innings in his minor league career.

With the trade of Xavier Nady to the Yankees on Friday, Blake was possibly the most highly sought-after bat on the market. Other teams pursuing him included the Rays, Mets and Phillies.

Those three teams would have played Blake in the outfield. But if the trade goes through he'll become the Dodgers' everyday third baseman, replacing slumping rookies Blake DeWitt and Andy LaRoche.

Blake, who can be a free agent after this season, was batting .289 for the Indians, with 11 homers, 58 RBIs and a .398 average with runners in scoring position.

Jayson Stark is a senior writer for ESPN.com.

[edabbs44]

Pretty decent return for Casey Blake. Meloan was very highly touted at one point. Not sure why they made him a starter, as he was lights out as a reliever last year. Hitters in AA and AAA hit about .155 off him.

And if they don't work out, at least the catcher has his day job to put food on the table.

[Reds/Flyers Fan]

Indians are doing a nice job of reloading. Reds ... well ... are not

[cincinnati chili]

What a waste for the Dodgers. They have two third basemen that I'd rather run out there than Casey Blake. Ned Colletti must feel desperate to try and win it this year if he's making a deal like this. And that's a scary thing, considering that the Dodgers will likely finish in 3rd behind two near .500 teams at season's end.

[remdog]

From the LA Times:

Dodgers acquire Cleveland Indians third baseman Casey Blake in trade
Kirby Lee / US Presswire
Casey Blake had 11 home runs and 58 RBIs this season for the Cleveland Indians.
It's hoped the weak-hitting Dodgers can get a boost from the 34-year-old, .289 hitter acquired in exchange for minor leaguers Jon Meloan and Carlos Santana. He'll be at Dodger Stadium tonight.
By Dylan Hernandez, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer
11:10 AM PDT, July 26, 2008
Five days away from the non-waiver trade deadline, the Dodgers acquired third baseman Casey Blake from the Cleveland Indians for a pair of minor leaguers.

Blake, who turns 35 next month, is a free agent at the end of the season and came at a reasonable cost: triple-A right-hander Jon Meloan and Class-A catcher Carlos Santana.

The Indians agreed to pay what remains of Blake's $6.1 million salary.

Blake, who was batting .289 with 11 home runs and 58 runs batted in for Cleveland, is on his way to Los Angeles and is expected to be at Dodger Stadium for the game tonight against the Washington Nationals. His bat will be a welcome addition to the weak-hitting Dodgers' lineup, which has included slumping rookie third basemen Andy LaRoche or Blake DeWitt on most nights.

Blake can also play in the outfield.

His major league career spans 10 seasons and includes stops in Toronto, Minnesota and Baltimore.

The Dodgers might not be done dealing. They remain in search of reinforcements in the middle of the infield and the back of the bullpen, and baseball sources indicate that they've been shopping LaRoche.

The Dodgers had a chance to acquire Blake at the start of the month as part of a blockbuster deal that would've also netted them star pitcher CC Sabathia and infielder Jamey Carroll. The deal would've cost the Dodgers five players.

The Dodgers started looking at third baseman when it appeared that acquiring a shortstop to replace the injured Rafael Furcal at this stage in the season could be difficult. Adrian Beltre of Seattle wasn't an option because the Dodgers are among the 10 teams listed in his limited no-trade clause, according a baseball source who spoke on the condition of anonymity.

Meloan, 24, was moved from the bullpen to the rotation this spring. He was 5-10 with a 4.97 earned-run average in 21 games for triple-A Las Vegas. A September call-up last season, he posted an 11.05 ERA in five games for the Dodgers.

Santana is by far the more intriguing prospect. The 22-year-old was hitting .323 with 14 home runs for Class-A Inland Empire and his 96 runs batted in were the most in the California League. Santana hit only .223 for Great Lakes, a low Class-A team, last season.

Rem

[cincyinco]

Well, there goes Dunn for Kemp!