Eager to land an all-around upgrade in the outfield, the Reds have gone out and swung August's first major waiver trade, landing Jim Edmonds from the Brewers:
Reds acquire OF Jim Edmonds from Brewers in exchange for OF Chris Dickerson.
Edmonds, who turned 40 years old in June, has had a tremendous season in Milwaukee, batting .286 with discipline, power, and good defense in center field. The lefty comes at a low salary and still features most of the skills that made him one of the best players in baseball earlier in the decade, and he should end up seeing significant playing time down the stretch in an outfield that's featured the disappointing Drew Stubbs.
In exchange for Edmonds - who's joining his fourth NL Central team in four years - the Brewers are getting 28 year old Chris Dickerson, a lefty capable of playing all three positions in the outfield. Dickerson has missed much of the season following hand surgery, but he owns a .789 career Major League OPS over 401 at bats, and he's managed an .853 OPS in AAA. He's a fast runner with a decent eye, reasonable power, and strong defense, making him a bit of an all-around value.
One can question just how much better Edmonds really is right now than Dickerson, but the Reds are clearly banking on Edmonds' experience being of significant use over these final few months. For more on the deal, be sure to check out Red Reporter and Brew Crew Ball.