'RHP' Valdez sent to Reds for LHP Horst

LAKEWOOD, N.J. - After two seasons in Philadelphia, 162 starts and one memorable inning as a pitcher, Wilson Valdez' tenure as the Phillies' utility infielder concluded yesterday when the club traded the 33-year-old to Cincinnati. The Phillies acquired lefthanded reliever Jeremy Horst, a 26-year-old who made 12 relief appearances last season and will attend spring training as a non-roster invitee.

"Wilson did a fine job for us, he really did," general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. said last night at the Phillies' Winter Caravan in Lakewood. "But we felt we had options there."

Amaro mentioned utility infielder Michael Martinez and shortstop Freddy Galvis as the top two candidates, although Amaro said the 22-year-old Galvis would begin the season in Triple A. Martinez, 29, played 72 games last season at five different positions.

Of course, both options are cheaper than Valdez, who avoided arbitration last week by agreeing to a 1-year, $930,000 contract. Martinez is due $414,000 this season. The Phillies also have veteran infielders Pete Orr, Kevin Frandsen and Hector Luna signed to minor league deals, so they could be options, too. Amaro believes any backup infielders would come from the system.

"We're keeping our minds and eyes and ears open," Amaro said. "Freddy, we view him as a guy who will start off in Triple A and if we have any injury issues or things that will happen during the course of the year, we feel very comfortable that Freddy can come in and do a good job as a backup or a stopgap at this stage of his career."

Martinez will need to prove as reliable as Valdez. Valdez batted .249 last season, but was a valuable defensive option who filled in at three spots in an aging infield. He even pitched a scoreless 19th inning in a win over the Reds in May, endearing himself to fans.

"The last couple years, Wilson Valdez was a big part of our team," manager Charlie Manuel said. "Jimmy Rollins, [Placido] Polanco and [Chase] Utley, when those guys are out, those are some big names in our lineup. Here's a guy who can come in and play defense with anybody."

As for Horst, the Phillies view him as another bullpen possibility in a wide-open race. In 12 relief appearances for the Red last season, Horst recorded a 2.93 ERA. In Triple A, where Horst spent most of the season, he maintained a 2.81 ERA. The most important thing about him, though, is that he's lefthanded. Last season, Antonio Bastardo was the dependable lefthanded option in the bullpen.

"Just kind of adding inventory as far as the left side is concerned," Amaro said of acquiring Horst. "We don't have a lot of it in our system . . . In this day and age, depth is important."