The Colorado Rockies have acquired outfielder Drew Stubbs from the Cleveland Indians in exchange for left-hander Josh Outman, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOXSports.com and Troy Renck of the Denver Post.
Stubbs, 29, was expendable due to a crowded Indians' outfield that includes the likes of Michael Brantley, Michael Bourn, David Murphy and Ryan Raburn. He will likely see time in center field for the Rockies next season, but the team seems ready to move forward with Carlos Gonzalez manning the position after Dexter Fowler was traded to the Astros. Stubbs is likely to be the team's fourth outfielder, according to Renck.
After being acquired from the Reds in the deal that sent Shin-Soo Choo to Cincinnati last winter, Stubbs hit .233 with 10 HR and 45 RBI in 146 games for Cleveland last season. In five major league seasons with the Reds (2009-2012) and Indians (2013), he is a lifetime .239 hitter with 69 HR and 223 RBI.
Outman, 29, pitched to a 4.33 ERA in 61 relief appearances last season in his second year with the Rockies. He held left-handed hitters to a .198 average, meaning that he will likely be used as a left-handed specialist out of the Indians' bullpen. The Rockies recently added lefties Boone Logan and Franklin Morales, so the subtraction of Outman makes sense.