The non-waiver MLB trading deadline passed last month, but as the Arizona Diamondbacks proved, that does not mean that big deals can’t still happen. Yesterday Arizona acquired slugger Adam Dunn from the Cincinnati Reds in exchange for a minor league pitcher and two players to be named later. The D-Backs had to answer to the Los Angeles Dodgers, who acquired Manny Ramirez at the trading deadline.

“It was one of those pleasant surprises,” Dunn said on a conference call. “To come off the terrible month that we had in Cincinnati, and you get a phone call today saying you’re being traded to a first-place team. As a player that’s all you could ask for.”

Earlier on in the season, Dunn was accused of not having passion for the game from Toronto Blue Jays general manager JP Ricciardi. In response, Dunn called the Blue Jays GM a, “clown.” After the trade occured, former teammate Ken Griffey Jr. came to the defense of Dunn.

“For someone to think just because he likes throwing a football around, he isn’t passionate about baseball – it’s just so far from the truth,” Griffey said last week. “If you don’t care about baseball, you don’t hit 40 home runs every year. You just don’t.”

Members of the Arizona Diamondbacks are thrilled about the new bat that has been added to an already intimidating lineup.

“He is a power bat. He drives in runs. He hits home runs. He walks. I don’t think he can do anything but help,” D-backs first baseman Chad Tracy said. “We got one of the best players out there to combat Manny.”

Dunn will likely play left field, a position that has long been vacated. Everyday left fielder Eric Byrnes will miss the duration of the 2008 season with a strained left hamstring.