The Dodgers completed a series of trades prior to the deadline. In the first, L.A. dealt C-R Paul Lo Duca, OF-R Juan Encarnacion, and Guillermo Mota to Florida for RHP Brad Penny, 1B-L Hee Seop Choi, and LHP Bill Murphy. Brad Penny provides L.A. with another reliable starter. While there are some concerns about the health of his shoulder, injury does not seem to have compromised his effectiveness. The 26-year-old is a dominant pitcher with solid control who should excel behind the superior defense of the Dodgers. As a ground-ball pitcher, Dodger Stadium's homer-facilitating attributes should not be a big problem for Penny. He should have at least one more season of arbitration before becoming eligible for free agency following the 2005 season.

Choi's contact rate remains an area with room for improvement, but he's made progress, and he demonstrates excellent patience at the plate. Meanwhile the 25-year-old's already substantial power skills should continue to increase as he matures physically over the next few years. His problems against left-handed pitching seem exaggerated, as he's had very little exposure to lefties in the majors and thus few opportunities to gain experience or prove himself. Florida will now be able to commiserate with the Cubs while Choi shines for the Dodgers.

Oakland drafted Murphy out of Cal State Northridge with a third round pick in 2002 and then dealt him to Florida in December of 2003 as the player to be named later in the Mark Redman deal. Prior to this trade, Murphy compiled a 113:59 K:BB with 80 H and 17 HR allowed in 103.2 IP for a 4.08 ERA over 20 starts at AA Carolina in the Southern League. His control will need improvement before he can think about starting in the majors, but his strikeout rate indicates substantial upside. The 23-year-old at least should develop into a capable reliever.

The Marlins missed having an offensive force behind the plate after allowing Ivan Rodriguez to depart as a free agent and sought to remedy the problem with Lo Duca. Lo Duca's high contact rate helps him maintain a solid batting average, although his patience could use improvement. He really isn't a flyball hitter, so I expect his home run power to dip with the move from Dodger Stadium to Pro Player. The 33-year-old's contract expires after the 2004 season, but he should still have one more season of arbitration before he's eligible for free agency.

Bringing back Jeff Conine as a reminder of past World Series success made sense and filled a need for the team, but Encarnacion possesses neither the nostalgia value nor production potential of Conine. As a fourth outfielder, Encarnacion offers solid power off the bench. However, the 28-year-old's poor plate discipline leaves him unqualified for a starting position.

Mota possesses solid skills across the board and keeps the ball on the ground, making him a dominant setup man. Unfortunately, the 31-year-old has already appeared in 52 games this season, putting him at risk for fatigue over the rest of the year.