CHICAGO – The Chicago Cubs today acquired infielder Blake DeWitt and minor league right-handed pitching prospects Kyle Smit and Brett Wallach from the Los Angeles Dodgers for left-handed pitcher Ted Lilly, infielder Ryan Theriot and a cash consideration.
DeWitt, 24, is a career .262 hitter (176-for-673) with 31 doubles, six triples and 12 home runs in 230 games covering the last three seasons with the Dodgers. The 5-foot-11, 175-pound DeWitt has seen action in his major league career at second base (107 games), third base (109 games) and shortstop (two games).
The left-handed batter and right-handed thrower is batting .270 (69-for-256) with 15 doubles, four triples, one home run, 30 RBI, 29 runs scored and a .352 on-base percentage in 82 games with the Dodgers this season. He has made only seven errors in 358 total chances at second base this season, good for a .980 fielding percentage.
Originally selected by the Dodgers in the first round of the 2004 Draft (28th overall), DeWitt had not played above the Double-A level before making the Dodgers 2008 Opening Day Roster at the age of 22. He began that season as the Dodgers Opening Day third baseman and completed the campaign as their everyday second baseman, helping the club to the National League Championship Series.
DeWitt has been a member of the Dodgers Opening Day roster three seasons in a row despite not turning 25 until next month (August 20). He batted .264 with 13 doubles, nine home runs and 52 RBI in 117 games for the Dodgers in 2008. Last year, DeWitt split the season between Triple-A Albuquerque and the Dodgers and had six different stints with the big league club, batting .204 (10-for-49) in only 31 major league contests. He is a native of Sarasota, FL.
Kyle Smit has reached the Double-A level this season at the age of 22, combining to go 5-3 with six saves and a 2.35 ERA (14 ER/53.2 IP) in 37 minor league appearances (one start) between Single-A Inland Empire and Double-A Chattanooga. Smit began the season with Inland Empire and posted a 1.74 ERA (9 ER/46.2 IP) in his 33 relief appearances to earn the promotion to Chattanooga, where he did not allow a run in three relief appearances. Combined between the stops, Smit has a 1.63 ERA (9 ER/49.2 IP) in 36 relief outings this year.
The righthander is 2-0 with five saves and a 0.72 ERA (2 ER/25.0 IP) in his last 18 relief appearances starting May 30. Overall this season, he has walked only 10 batters in 53.2 innings pitched, an average of 1.7 walks per nine innings, and opponents are batting only .191 (13-for-68) with runners in scoring position.
Smit was originally selected by the Dodgers in the fifth round of the 2006 Draft out of Spanish Springs High School in Sparks, NV. He is 11-22 with seven saves and a 5.16 ERA (156 ER/273.0 IP) in 105 career minor league appearances, including 40 starts.
Brett Wallach, 21, went 6-0 with a 3.72 ERA (35 ER/84.2 IP) in 17 starts for Single-A Great Lakes this season and struck out 92 batters in only 84.2 innings pitched, an average of 9.8 strikeouts per nine innings. The righthander limited opponents to a .230 batting average (73-for-317), including a .209 mark (40-for-191) by right-handed batters and a .262 mark (33-for-126) by lefthanders.
Originally selected by the Dodgers in the third round of the 2009 Draft, Wallach began the season ranked as the club’s No. 20 prospect by Baseball America and ended last year as the No. 16 prospect in the Pioneer League, where he went 0-1 with a 5.23 ERA (18 ER/31.0 IP) in 12 starts in his first season of pro ball with Ogden Rapids.
Wallach is the son of former Dodger player and current Dodger Triple-A Manager Tim Wallach. He is a native of Anaheim, CA and was drafted by Los Angeles out of Orange Coast College.
Ted Lilly went 3-8 with a 3.69 ERA (48 ER/117.0 IP) in 18 starts with the Cubs this season. Signed by the club to a four-year contract prior to the 2007 season, Lilly went 47-34 with a 3.70 ERA (290 ER/705.2 IP) in 113 starts with the Cubs during the last four seasons.
Ryan Theriot batted .284 (110-for-388) with 10 doubles, two triples, one home run and 21 RBI in 96 games with the Cubs this season. Originally selected by the Cubs in the third round of the 2001 Draft, Theriot batted .287 (648-for-2254) with 91 doubles, 16 triples, 15 home runs and 174 RBI in 609 games covering all or part of six seasons with the club.