Scott Podsednik is moving west… again. The 34-year-old outfielder was traded by the Kansas City Royals to the Los Angeles Dodgers. This will be Podsednik’s sixth major league team that he has played for, including two stints with the White Sox. The Dodgers picked up the veteran while giving back two prospects – catcher Lucas May and right-hander Elisaul Pimentel – to the Royals. Podsednik made his Dodgers debut on Thursday night, going 0-for-3 with a walk, strikeout, stolen base and error.

Podsednik, who before the trade was hitting .310 with five home runs, 44 RBI, 46 runs scored and 30 steals, may actually suffer from his trade to a playoff contender, as far as playing time goes at least. It looks like he’ll mainly be there as a fill-in until Manny Ramirez returns from the DL; after which he’ll play sparingly as a fourth outfielder. The Dodgers are also waiting for Reed Johnson to come back from a back injury, which will further limit Podsednik’s field time.

The move made by the Royals is clearly one of them trying to get younger and cheaper. As has been the trend for them lately, they’re not going anywhere this season, so keeping a guy making $1.65 million doesn’t make much sense when they can pick up younger impact players who are controllable for the foreseeable future. It can’t be a good feeling for Podsednik to have been traded, but it is part of the game and he knows that.

Podsednik has had an up-and-down career and after just over half a season in Kansas City, you have to think that this has just been another valley for him. The Dodgers present an interesting situation. If he can continue his hot season, he may find himself playing in favor of Johnson. There’s no chance he’ll steal a job from Manny, but Podsednik isn’t too old yet. He’s still an above-average hitter and is quick around the bases, so if he plays his cards right, he just might see some above-average playing time as well.