Dodgers acquire Skip Schumaker

The Dodgers may be done throwing gobs of money at starting pitchers, but that does not mean they are done dealing.

Case in point: Los Angeles has reportedly acquired veteran utility player Skip Schumaker from the St. Louis Cardinals, reports Dylan Hernandez of the LA Times:

Source: the #Dodgers have acquired Skip Schumaker from the #Cardinals.

— Dylan Hernandez (@dylanohernandez) December 12, 2012

The Cardinals will receive minor-league infielder Jake Lemmerman in return for Schumaker. Lemmerman, 23, spent the 2012 season at Double-A, where he hit .233/.347/.378 with seven home runs in 116 games.

Schumaker, 32, spent the last eight seasons in St. Louis playing a variety of roles. The lefty hitter was the club's starting center fielder for the 2008 season then moved to second base for the next two years, before taking up the super utility role the last two seasons.

Schumaker has hovered around replacement level for most of his career because of sub-par defensive numbers at second base, but has always hit for average and puts up respectable on-base numbers. A prototypical slap hitter, Schumaker has never hit more than eight home runs in a season. He hit .276/.339/.368 with a single home run in 107 games for the Cardinals in 2012, and is a career .288/.345/.377 hitter.

Schumaker does not have much of a trade value, so it is likely that the Dodgers will send a minor-league player in return (UPDATE: They did. See: above.). St. Louis has been on the prowl for depth at short, so the Dodgers could part with shortstop Dee Gordon -- who is on the trading block -- but it seems like a very low price for a young player who still boasts a quality upside.

Scumaker is under contract through the 2013 season at $1.5 million.