Fans of the Cleveland Indians can cross another name off of their wish list of right-handed left fielders as the Miami Marlins have acquired Carlos Lee, along with cash considerations, from the Houston Astros for a pair of minor leaguers.
Marlins prospects Matt Dominguez, a third baseman, and Rob Rasmussen, left-handed pitcher, were ranked fourth and seventh, respectively, by Baseball America.
The Astros are expected to also pay the majority of the $9 million remaining on Lee’s contract. The 36-year-old is hitting .287 with five home runs, 29 RBI and an OPS of .747.
Lee, holder of a partial no-trade clause, had no say in this deal as the Marlins were not on the list. He recently turned down a trade that would have sent him to the Los Angeles Dodgers, but this had been rumored to be due to the desire to not play in a major television market. He will join the likes of Giancarlo Stanton and Hanley Ramirez in the Miami lineup, providing an upgrade over outfielder Gaby Sanchez.
The Indians, meanwhile, continue to search for at least one right-handed bat to help produce runs over the second half of the 2012 MLB season. Current left fielders Johnny Damon and Shelley Duncan are hitting .201 and .221, respectively.
[Related: Memo to Chris Antonetti: Go Get Carlos Lee]
