[Tek]

MINNEAPOLIS -- The Twins have been searching for middle infield help and before the Trade Deadline expired on Friday, they got it.

Minnesota added an experienced offensive shortstop by acquiring Orlando Cabrera from the A's in exchange for Minor League shortstop Tyler Ladendorf. The Twins also received cash from Oakland in the transaction.

It's the first Trade Deadline acquisition by the Twins since 2003, when the club traded for Shannon Stewart and a player to be named later (pitcher Dave Gassner) from the Blue Jays in exchange for outfielder Bobby Kielty.

Cabrera , 34, is batting .280 with four homers, 41 RBIs and a .318 on-base percentage in 101 games for the A's this season. He's been particularly hot this month, hitting .377 in July.

The two teams had been in discussions since early last week regarding Cabrera, who is signed to a one-year, $4 million contract. During a series between the two clubs in Oakland, there was a lot of recruiting going on as Twins players spoke to Cabrera about their interest in having him join their club. Twins manager Ron Gardenhire also didn't hesitate to voice how much he liked the shortstop when asked about him last weekend.

Cabrera could help fill the No. 2 spot in the Twins' batting order, which has been particularly troublesome this season.

Ladendorf, a second-round pick of the Twins in the 2008 First-Year Player Draft, was recently promoted to Class A Beloit, where he was batting .233 in 15 games. The 21-year-old infielder began the season with Rookie-level Elizabethton and batted .410 with four homers and 17 RBIs before earning the promotion.


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