NL West rivals head busy Deadline day

Giants return fire: It rarely makes sense for teams to "respond" to rivals' moves, because if a deal didn't make sense yesterday, it probably doesn't make sense today -- regardless of what other clubs have done. And yet, it's hard to shake the notion when looking at the National League West.

Hours after the Dodgers picked up Shane Victorino, the rival Giants made their own acquisition of a Phillies outfielder. San Francisco picked up Hunter Pence in exchange for Nate Schierholtz and a pair of prospects. Just as in the case of the Dodgers' move (see below), the Giants add depth to an offense that needed it. Pence moves from a hitter-friendly park in Philadelphia to a pitchers' haven by the Bay, but AT&T Park is not as harsh on right-handers as it is on lefties.

Additionally, in moving Schierholtz, the Giants part with a useful player, albeit not a star. The Giants likely got the better player, but the Dodgers may have made the bigger upgrade.

Victorino heads west: The first significant deal on Tuesday got done in the morning. The Phillies and Dodgers completed a trade that sends Victorino to Los Angeles in exchange for right-handed relief pitcher Josh Lindblom and Double-A right-handed relief pitcher Ethan Martin.

The deal fits right in with the expected plans of both teams. The Dodgers have made no secret of their search for a bat, especially in the outfield, and they're not shy about their ability or willingness to take on money. Meanwhile, the Phillies are in selling mode, with Joe Blanton and Juan Pierre apparently also available.

Domonic Brown was called up from Triple-A.

Demmpster to Rangers: The Cubs' makeover continued Tuesday when they traded Dempster to the defending American League champions, finalizing the deal minutes before the 3 p.m. CT Trade Deadline. The Cubs have reportedly received two Class A players.

The 35-year-old right-hander, who ranks among the National League leaders with a 2.25 ERA, had favored a deal to the Dodgers but apparently altered his wish list. The Yankees also were believed to be in talks with the Cubs.

Reds bolster bullpen: The Reds made a trade with the Royals to acquire reliever Jonathan Broxton.Broxton is 1-2 with a 2.27 ERA, 23 saves, 14 walks and 25 strikeouts in 35 games as Kansas City's closer. The Royals received Minor League left-handed reliever Donnie Joseph and right-handed starter J.C. Sulbaran in return for Broxton.

Red Sox acquire Breslow:The Red Sox have added another lefty to their bullpen, acquiring Craig Breslow from the Arizona Diamondbacks for righty reliever Matt Albers and outfielder Scott Podsednik.

The move will perhaps pave the way for Franklin Morales to move back to the rotation, where he had success in June and the early part of July.

Bucs build bench: Pittsburgh manager Clint Hurdle has been seeking veterans for his bench, and Gaby Sanchez fills that bill. Sanchez was batting .202 in 55 games with Miami during a disappointing 2012 season, but has a productive past. The 28-year-old combined for 38 homers and 163 RBIs in 2010-11.

Triple-A outfielder Gorkys Hernandez and the Bucs' sandwich pick between the first two rounds of the 2013 First-Year Player Draft went to the Marlins in a deal in which the Pirates also landed Kyle Kaminska, a 23-year-old right-handed reliever.

Mujica comes to Cards: The Cardinals' attempts to fortify their bullpen for the season's final two months has led them to right-hander Edward Mujica, whom the club acquired from the Marlins. The Cardinals sent former first-round Draft pick Zack Cox to Miami.

Mujica, 28, has a 4.38 ERA in 41 appearances this year, his second with the Marlins. In seven big league seasons, Mujica has posted a 4.42 ERA. He has allowed 50 home runs in 348 1/3 innings and has a career 283 strikeouts. Mujica will be under team control for the rest of this season, as well as 2013.

Yanks get McGehee from Pirates for Qualls: The Yankees acquired infielder Casey McGehee from the Pirates with cash considerations in exchange for right-handed reliever Chad Qualls.

McGehee will help the Yankees at the corner infield spots with Mark Teixeira and Alex Rodriguez sidelined. The 29-year-old hit .230 with eight home runs and 35 RBIs in 92 games with the Pirates this season, appearing at first base (77 games, 56 starts) and third base (nine games, eight starts).