Cubs get Grieve from Brewers, acquire DiFelice from Tigers

— -- MILWAUKEE -- The Chicago Cubs made a pair of trades Tuesday, getting outfielder Ben Grieve from the Milwaukee Brewers and acquiring backup catcher Mike DiFelice from the Detroit Tigers. The deals came on the final day for teams to obtain players and have them be eligible for postseason rosters. The Cubs led the NL wild-card race going into Tuesday night's game at Montreal. "We just felt it was the right time to try do something, and it also covers us if we're close enough to make the playoffs that we might have some alternatives now that we didn't have before today," Cubs general manager Jim Hendry said. Chicago sent a minor league player to be named and cash to the Brewers for Grieve, who recently returned to full strength after a nagging calf injury cut into his playing time in right field. The Cubs gave up a player to be named for DiFelice. "I was surprised when they told me," Grieve said after packing his bags at Miller Park. "I haven't been playing too much lately, so I haven't been getting too many at-bats and I was surprised someone even was watching me play." Grieve, 28, hit .261 with seven home runs and 29 RBIss in 108 games for Milwaukee. He was 9-for-37 as a pinch-hitter, which will be his role with the Cubs. "Once I found out I was traded, I was glad it was the Chicago Cubs," Grieve said. "It's pretty obvious that it's a pretty good team to go to, it's right there in the playoff hunt still. They've got 15-20 guys on their team that are pretty big names." Including right fielder Sammy Sosa. So where does that leave Grieve? "On the bench," Grieve said with a laugh. "I probably will be doing the same thing I was doing here: Maybe coming in late in the game and pinch-hitting off a right-handed pitcher." Grieve, not known for his defense, took his decreased playing time in stride as Brady Clark became the Brewers' primary right fielder. "Brady's been playing well out in right field, playing good defense, putting up good at-bats," Grieve said. "Everyone wants to play and get at-bats, but I don't go home at night ticked off or disappointed or anything like that. I'm sure a lot of guys would. But stuff like that's out of my control. I don't worry about it. I hope to see my name in the lineup everyday but when it's not, I just go do my work." Hendry said Grieve might join the Cubs in Montreal on Wednesday. "We haven't finalized our plans with Ben," Hendry said. "There's a possibility Ben will be there (Wednesday)." DiFelice was told to meet the team in Florida, where it begins a three-game series Friday. "Mike's got a lot of experience," Hendry said. "He's been with contending clubs before so he's great insurance if something happens." Grieve was the 1998 AL Rookie of the Year with Oakland, later played for Tampa Bay and signed as a free agent with Milwaukee last winter. He is a career .268 hitter with 117 home runs and 485 RBIss. Brewers general manager Doug Melvin said Hendry called him about 1:30 p.m. and the deal was done within 90 minutes -- after the Florida Marlins also expressed interest in Grieve. "I said I wouldn't stand in Ben's way of going to a pennant race at this time because we're going to be bringing up some younger guys," Melvin said. The Brewers recalled outfielder Dave Krynzel from Triple-A Indianapolis to take Grieve's roster spot. He hit .276 with six home runs and 26 RBIss in 69 games. The Brewers' first-round pick in the 2000 draft got a go-ahead, two-run single in the eighth inning Tuesday to lift Indianapolis over Toledo 3-2. Krynzel, 22, who missed several months this season after breaking his left foot with a foul ball in April, will be making his major league debut. Melvin said he'll arrive in Milwaukee on Wednesday. DiFelice spent most the season with Triple-A Toledo, hitting .270 with 36 RBIss in 64 games. He spent about a month with Detroit and played 13 games, batting .136 with two RBIss in 22 at-bats. DiFelice, 35, also has played with St. Louis, Tampa Bay, Arizona and Kansas City. He is a career .240 hitter with 28 home runs and 157 RBIss.