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LOS ANGELES -- The Dodgers on Tuesday added to their outfield depth, acquiring Chris Heisey from the Reds in exchange for pitcher Matt Magill. The Dodgers' packed outfield situation for the moment at least got even more crowded, though it seems like this won't be the last move involving a Dodgers outfielder this offseason, or even this month.
Heisey, with four years, 157 days of service time, is eligible for salary arbitration, meaning the Dodgers need to tender him a contract by Tuesday night's 9 p.m. PT deadline. He made $1.76 million in 2014.
Heisey, who turns 30 on Dec. 14, hit .222/.265/.378 in 119 games in 2014 and has hit .247/.299/.422 in 543 games over parts of five major league seasons. The right-handed Heisey actually has a reverse platoon split in his career, hitting .259/.310/.429 against right-handers and .221/.273/.405 against left-handers in his career.
Heisey can play all three outfield positions, making him a versatile candidate for an already crowded Dodgers bench. Though someone like Heisey is more likely to accept a bench role than, say, Andre Ethier, himself a candidate to be traded this winter. Heisey also has two option years remaining, having only used one in 2010.
Heisey is rated as above average defensively at all three outfield positions by ultimate zone rating and total zone rating, with his only slightly below average mark coming in center field, by defensive runs saved.
"One of the areas we're trying to improve is center field depth. We certainly have a good number of outfielders, but most of our guys on our roster right now are better off defensively in the corners," Dodgers general manager Farhan Zaidi said on Tuesday night. "Chris is a guy who is a good center fielder, a tremendous corner outfielder, a good baserunner, he hits left-handed pitching well. There are a lot of things he brings to the table."
This is the Dodgers' sixth trade in the last 16 days, almost all designed to upgrade the depth on the margins of the 40-man roster. With the recent additions of Mike Bolsinger and Juan Nicasio, Magill fell further down the Dodgers' pitching depth chart.
Magill was one of two players to last all season on the Dodgers' 40-man roster without getting called up to the big club. The other, Jarret Martin, was outrighted to Triple-A Oklahoma City on Monday.
Magill, 25, was 7-6 with a 5.21 ERA with Triple-A Albuquerque in 2014, switching between the rotation (12 starts) and relief (24 appearances out of the bullpen). The right-hander struck out 70 but also walked 59 in 84⅔ innings, a 15.3-percent walk rate. The right-hander saw time with the Dodgers in 2013, putting up a 6.51 ERA in six starts, with 28 walks and 26 strikeouts in 27⅔ innings.