The Milwaukee Brewers have acquired right-handed relief pitcher Jonathan Broxton from the Cincinnati Reds in exchange for two players to be named later, the teams have announced. The news was first reported by Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports earlier today. 

The Brewers move of Broxton comes just before the midnight eastern playoff-eligibility deadline today on August 31st. It is unclear whether the Brewers claimed Broxton off waivers, but considering his $9 million salary next season, plus his $9 million team option with a $1 million buyout for 2016, it seems very likely that he did clear revocable waivers. 

Salary or not, Broxton will be an immediate upgrade to a Brewers bullpen that has the 13th-highest ERA and 10th-highest FIP on the season. Since the beginning of August, however, Milwaukee's bullpen has been among the worst in the major leagues, ranking 26th (or fifth-worst) in the major leagues for FIP. 

The 30-year-old Broxton is in the midst of a three-year, $21 million deal that he signed with the Reds in November 2012. He will likely be an immediate upgrade to the Brewers' bullpen, as he is 4-2 with a 1.86 ERA and a 1.014 WHIP in 51 appearances. However, his 3.52 FIP suggests that his ERA has been better than it really should be, likely being helped by the Reds stellar defense. His 37 to 17 strikeout-to-walk ratio in his 48 1/3 innings is something to be concerned about. 

Broxton first came up to the major leagues as a flame thrower with the Los Angeles Dodgers, with his fastest pitch ever recorded at 102.6 MPH (2009). He can still throw his fastball into the 96-97 MPH range, but it usually is around 93 MPH. One really good upside for the Brewers is Broxton's playoff experience. He has pitched in 16 playoff games, including five National League Championship games in 2008 and 2009 against the Philadelphia Phillies. 

The addition of Broxton seems to make sense for the Brewers. Bullpen pieces are hard to come by, especially one with as much playoff experience as Broxton himself. His salary is a bit high, but depending on who the Brewers had to give up, the deal seems to be a very good trade for both sides. 

The Oakland Athletics have acquired Adam Dunn from the White Sox in exchange for minor league right-hander Nolan Sanburn, they announce.

Sanburn, the Athletics 2012 2nd round pick, is the Athletics' twelfth-best prospect, as ranked by MLB.com. He is 3-1 with a 3.28 ERA and a 1.444 WHIP in 42 games with High Single-A Stockton.

Read the complete story on Sports Rumor Alert. 

The Seattle Mariners announced that they have extended general manager Jack Zduriencik to a multi-year deal contract today. 

Zduriencik has been on the hot seat now for some time, but the Mariners success this season has likely saved his job. The Mariners are currently in sole possession of the second Wild Card spot, as their 71-59 record gives them a 1/2 game lead over the Detroit Tigers. 

This offseason, Zduriencik signed Robinson Cano this offseason to a ten-year, $240 million deal, signed Corey Hart to a one-year, $6 million deal, and acquired Logan Morrison from the Miami Marlins for reliever Carter Capps. Usually teams that have a big offseason do not have the best regular season, but Zduriencik played his chips at the right time. He had a big offseason while mixing with homegrown talent with players such as Kyle Seager, Dustin Ackley, Hisashi Iwakuma, and Felix Hernandez. 

The 63-year-old Zduriencik, who is an alumni of California University of Pennsylvania, worked his way from an area scout in the New York Mets organization back in 1983 to general manager of the Seattle Mariners, where his tenure began in 2008. He was hired by the Mariners after spending three years with the Milwaukee Brewers, where he was given a large amount of credit for bringing the team back into playoff contention in 2008.

Brewers GM Doug Melvin said, "No doubt about it, he [Zduriencik] deserves almost all the credit for the young players we have. The players he has drafted are making an impact at the big league level."

The Mariners have a 430-510 record in almost six full seasons under Zduriencik.