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UPDATE 7/31 2:39 AM EST: The Baltimore Orioles are interested in acquiring Overbay, according to FOX Sports Arizona's Jack Magruder. The first baseman is also being discussed in a potential deal that would send him with the Cincinnati Reds, according to Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports.
Original Story: To make room on the roster for recently acquired third baseman Chris Johnson, the Arizona Diamondbacks have designated first baseman Lyle Overbay for assignment, the team announced today (via Twitter).
Roster move:
— Arizona Diamondbacks (@Dbacks) July 30, 2012#Dbacks designate Lyle Overbay for assignment to make room for Chris Johnson. We wish him all the best!
The 35-year-old batted a terrific .292/.367/.448 but it was in just 110 plate appearances. There's no reason to expect him to perform that well for the rest of the year, but he has always done well against right-handed pitchers.
Similar to what the D'Backs did with Ryan Roberts, I could see Overbay being traded within the ten-day clock to a contender looking for a left-handed bench bat. It would be a cheap option for any team. Also, it doesn't hurt that Overbay can play defense (albeit at first base) unlike many other bench options out there.