Orioles Ship George Sherrill Off to L.A., Get Two Players In Return

And just like that, Jim Johnson inherits the closer's role in Baltimore.

That's right, just days after proclaiming that he would like to stay in an Orioles uniform for the long haul, the O's traded George Sherrill to the Los Angeles Dodgers for two prospects.

Sherrill had been as steady as any closer in baseball this season. The "portly" reliever saved 20 games in 23 chances, and reduced his ERA to a near career high (2.40). In all, Sherrill pitched 99 games in a Baltimore uniform, saving 51 of them after coming over in the Erik Bedard for Adam Jones, Chris Tillman, Tony Butler and Kam Mickolio trade. Sherrill was the first to make his mark for the O's, notching an All-Star bid last year.

The two prospects obtained from the Dodgers are 22-year-old third baseman Josh Bell and 20-year-old Steve Johnson. 

The arrival of Bell, a true third baseman, may signify that the Orioles have officially given up on the arrival of another former third baseman, Billy Rowell. Baseball America rated Bell as the eighth best prospect in the organization at the beginning of the season.

He was also rated as being the best power hitter in the Dodgers system. At 6'3", 235 lbs, Bell is likely to remain at the hot corner, but if the possibility should arise that he could no longer hack it, a move to a corner outfield spot could be in line (see: the end of Billy Rowell).

Bell has arguably been the best player on the Double-A Chattanooga Lookouts, leading the team in home runs and RBIs, while maintaining a .296 batting average. He was recently named the MVP of the Southern League All-Star Game and followed that up with league Player of the Week honors. 

A Baltimore native, Johnson, a right-handed pitcher, is the son of former Orioles pitcher and broadcaster Dave Johnson. Johnson was rated 15th best prospect in the Dodgers system by BA, who projected him as a late-inning reliever or back of the rotation starter. 

He struggled early in his career after being drafted by the team in the 13th round of the 2005 draft, but has recently put his game together. He led the entire organization in victories in 2008 and finished third in strikeouts. 

He didn't fare so well in the Cal League in 2008, and repeated to start 2009, and he really showed improvement. In 16 starts, Johnson compiled an 8-4 record, 102 strikeouts in 96.2 innings and a 3.84 ERA. Since being promoted to Chattanooga, Johnson has dominated, starting two games, winning and losing one apiece, while striking out 15 in only 10 innings. 

The book on Johnson is that he's a smart kid who translates his intelligence into his performance on the mound. That helps make up for the fact that he doesn't have the best stuff, with a fastball that tops out at 93, but sits more regularly around 88-90. 

Both Johnson and Bell are expected to report to Double-A Bowie, where Bell will try to aid a power starved Baysox team that has been bereft of power since Brandon Snyder was promoted to Triple-A Norfolk. Johnson will join a rotation that includes Brandon Erbe, Radhames Liz, and 2008 first-round pick Brian Matusz. Quite a rotation the Baysox will feature.