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Dodgers, Reds complete big trade

In this file photo, Yasiel Puig hits a three-run home run during the sixth inning of Game 7 of the National League Championship Series against the Milwaukee Brewers in Milwaukee. The Dodgers shook up their roster Friday, trading Puig, Matt Kemp and left-hander Alex Wood and cash to the Cincinnati Reds for right-hander Homer Bailey.
Bailey goes to L.A. for Puig, Kemp and Wood

CINCINNATI — The Los Angeles Dodgers had a surplus of outfielders. With one attention-getting deal, they reshaped their roster in hopes of another pennant run.

The reigning NL champions shook up their lineup on Friday, trading Yasiel Puig, Matt Kemp and left-hander Alex Wood along with cash to the Cincinnati Reds for a pair of prospects as part of a seven-player deal.

The Reds included starter Homer Bailey in the swap, a way of freeing them from the $28 million owed him in the final year of his contract. Bailey didn’t fit into the Reds’ pitching plans, so they wanted to include him in a deal if possible. The Dodgers plan to release him.

“It was to grant him his release, more of fitting into the overall construct of the deal,” said Andrew Friedman, the Dodgers’ president of baseball operations.

The Dodgers get minor leaguer infielder Jeter Downs and right-hander Josiah Gray. The Reds got catcher Kyle Farmer for depth at the position.

“I think if you look back over last few years, a hallmark of our teams has been depth on our roster,” Friedman said. “This put us in position with a surplus in the outfield and pitching. A big focus was to figure out moves on those fronts that made sense.”

For the Reds, it’s another move toward becoming competitive after four straight 90-loss seasons. Cincinnati has been rebuilding since 2015, and decided it’s time to spend some money and make some deals to complement its core of young players.

“We still have (financial) resources to make this team better — we’re not done yet,” said Dick Williams, the Reds’ president of baseball operations. “We did trade some good prospects here, but we acquired four major league players that address needs for us and I think we’re better in the short-term.”

Last week, the Reds traded pitching prospect Tanner Rainey to the Nationals for 32-year-old starter Tanner Roark, who led the National League in losses last season while going 9-15 with a 4.34 ERA.

Cincinnati didn’t know what to do with Bailey, who went 1-14 last season with a 6.09 ERA and resisted a move to the bullpen. He threw a pair of no-hitters before his career was sidetracked by three arm operations. He was entering the final year on a six-year, $105 million deal.

The rotation has been the Reds’ biggest problem, with prospects failing to produce consistently, and Wood provides another upgrade. He was an All-Star for the Dodgers in 2017, going 16-3 with a 2.72 ERA. He was 9-7 last season with a 3.68 ERA in 27 starts and six relief appearances.

“We think he’s a solid middle-of-the-rotation guy who’s going to fit in really well,” Williams said.

The Reds’ outfield was in flux when they chose not to tender a contact to Billy Hamilton, making him a free agent. Puig is expected to play right field. He’s in the final year of a seven-year, $42 million deal.

Kemp, 34, batted .290 with 25 doubles, 21 homers and 85 RBIs last season, when he was an All-Star for the third time.

The Dodgers felt good about the chance to deal from their glut of outfielders and pitchers.

“If you look at our rotation and outfield four hours ago, it was not a functional roster,” Friedman said. “It’s a deal that makes sense.”

Profar goes to A’s

Texas traded infielder Jurickson Profar to the Oakland Athletics on Friday in a three-team deal that included Tampa Bay and netted the Rangers four prospects.

Oakland also finalized a $15 million, two-year contract with free agent right-hander Joakim Soria, giving the A’s a reliable and versatile reliever.

The 34-year-old Soria, a two-time All-Star, went 3-4 with a 3.12 ERA in 66 appearances and 60 2/3 innings this year for the Chicago White Sox and Milwaukee Brewers.

Brewers get Santana

The Seattle Mariners acquired outfielder Domingo Santana from the Milwaukee Brewers on Friday in exchange for outfielder Ben Gamel and minor-league pitcher Noah Zavalos.

The swap of young outfielders adds a right-handed power bat to the Mariners’ lineup and provides the Brewers with a versatile corner outfielder.

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