The Dodgers have acquired third-baseman Casey Blake from the Indians. In exchange, the Indians received Class A catcher Carlos Santana and Class AAA right-hander Jon Meloan.
Blake is hitting .289, a career-best, with 11 HR and 58 RBIs for the Indians this season.
The deal makes it unlikely that the Dodgers will pursue a shortstop. They had been actively seeking a player for the position, most notably the Pirates’ Jack Wilson.
At 50-52, the Dodgers are just one game out of first in the NL West and are looking for an offensive boost after missing out on the CC Sabathia sweepstakes. Only four teams in the majors, including two division rivals, have scored fewer runs this season than the Dodgers’ total of 429.
Blake brings experience and versatility to the Dodgers. He played the infield and outfield for the disappointing Indians, who signed him as a minor league free agent in 2002. He struggled at the plate with runners in scoring position last year, batting just .190 and was often a target of Indians fans, who never seemed to appreciate his all-around value.
This season, Blake was one of Cleveland’s most reliable players. He signed a $6.1 million contract at the start of the season, and the Iowa native has said he would like to finish his career with the Indians.
Cleveland came within one win of the World Series last year and was favored to defend its AL Central title. But costly injuries and underachievement by some of their top players dropped the Indians back in the division and forced general manager Mark Shapiro to begin retooling for the future.
Meloan pitched in five games as a reliever for the Dodgers last season. The club converted him into a starter this year, and the 24-year-old was 5-10 with a 4.97 ERA at Triple-A Las Vegas. The Indians have transferred his option to Triple-A Buffalo, where he will pitch in relief.
Santana, a 22-year-old switch hitter, batted .323 with 14 homers and 96 RBIs at Class-A Inland Empire. He led the California League in RBIs, on-base percentage (.431) and runs (88). Since June 26, he’s batting .393 with six homers and 30 RBIs in 28 games. The Indians said the Dominican Republic native will report to Class-A Kinston.