Adding a big arm to their bullpen, the NL West-leading Dodgers acquired former All-Star closer George Sherrill from the Orioles yesterday for two minor leaguers.
The rebuilding Orioles received third baseman Josh Bell and righthander Steve Johnson, both of whom were at Double A Chattanooga.
Sherrill has 20 saves for last-place Baltimore and gives the Dodgers, who own the NL’s best record, a lefthanded complement to All-Star closer Jonathan Broxton. Sherrill, 32, is expected to join the team today.
“I expect he will help us. Obviously, Broxton is our closer,’’ manager Joe Torre said before his team played the Cardinals. “But we’ll use him late in the game - eighth, ninth inning. It gives us a backup, an experienced backup.’’
An AL All-Star last season, the 32-year-old Sherrill is 0-1 with a 2.40 ERA. He has limited opponents to a .219 batting average in 2009.
Sherrill set a career high with 31 saves last season, his first with the Orioles. He came to Baltimore from Seattle as part of a five-for-one deal that sent pitcher Erik Bedard to the Mariners.
The Orioles were most interested in the 22-year-old Bell, who was hitting .296 with 11 home runs and 52 RBIs in 94 games with Chattanooga. Johnson, 21, was 9-5 with a 3.61 ERA overall in Single and Double A.
Chicago sent righthanders Kevin Hart and Jose Ascanio and minor league infielder Josh Harrison to Pittsburgh for Grabow and lefty Tom Gorzelanny.
Grabow, who can become a free agent after the season, is 3-0 with a 3.42 ERA in 45 appearances. Last season, he was 6-3 with a 2.84 ERA in 74 games.
“John Grabow was a sought-after guy, a perfect deadline deal, a good lefthander out of the bullpen,’’ said Cubs general manager Jim Hendry.
Hart, who is 3-1 with a 2.60 ERA, will move into the Pirates’ rotation immediately.
