Baseball-Trade flurry shakes up Dodgers roster

[December 12, 2014]  (Reuters) - The Los Angeles Dodgers, not satisfied with division titles alone, made a flurry of moves as the Winter Meetings drew to a close on Thursday to shake up their roster in a quest to get win a World Series.

The two-time National League West-winning Dodgers traded for second baseman Howie Kendrick, shortstop Jimmy Rollins, catcher Yasmani Grandal, and a flock of prospects they might dangle to offer for Philadelphia Phillies' lefthander Cole Hamels.

Those leaving Los Angeles included second baseman Dee Gordon, pitcher Dan Haren, and outfielder Matt Kemp, whose swap to the San Diego Padres was not yet official as MLB had to sign off on L.A. paying some $30 million toward Kemp's contract.

The busy Dodgers, who won 94 games last season before losing to the Cardinals in the NL Division Series, were also reportedly close to signing free agent starting pitcher Brandon McCarthy.

The Miami Marlins ended up with Gordon and Haren, while the Los Angeles Angels received young left-handed starter Andrew Heaney, from the Dodgers by way of Miami.

The deal with Philadelphia for Rollins was not yet made official.

"We feel, within the totality of the moves, we've made ourselves a better team," Andrew Friedman, president of baseball operations, told reporters at the Winter Meetings in San Diego after announcing the trades with the Marlins and Angels.

The Boston Red Sox seemed on the brink of addressing their starting rotation as a series of reports had them agreeing to terms on separate deals for Rick Porcello, Justin Masterson and Wade Miley, though none of the moves had been confirmed.

The deal for Porcello, would have the Red Sox sending slugging outfielder Yoenis Cespedes to the Detroit Tigers.

(Reporting by Larry Fine in New York; Editing by Frank Pingue)

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