By Jim Callis
March 25, 2003

Looking to bolster their Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre club, the Phillies acquired Wendell Magee from the Indians for a player to be named later on Tuesday. Jim Salisbury, BA's Phillies correspondent, reports in the Philadelphia Inquirer that Cleveland is expected to receive Mike Fyhrie once procedural matters are worked out.

Magee, 30, will be an insurance policy in case rookie Marlon Byrd can't handle Philadelphia's center-field job, though the Phillies were quick to point out that the trade in no way signalled any loss of confidence in Byrd. Magee is a serviceable backup who lacks the power, patience or speed to grab a starting job. He hit .271-6-35 in 91 games with Detroit last year, and opted for free agency when the Tigers outrighted him in October. He signed a minor league contract with the Indians in January. In 386 big league games, he has hit .247-24-122.

Fyhrie, a 33-year-old righthander, signed a minor league deal with Philadelphia in January after being released by Oakland in December. He went 2-4, 4.44 in 16 games with the Athletics last year, boosting his career record to 2-11, 4.00 in 84 contests. He's a finesse pitcher who throws a fastball, cutter, slider and changeup.