Phils land pitching prospect for Byrd

The Phillies winter overhaul - moving veterans from a forgettable 2014 season in hopes to infuse more youth onto the roster in 2015 - continued before the new year on Wednesday.

The Phillies traded veteran outfielder Marlon Byrd to the Cincinnati Reds in exchange for righthanded pitching prospect Ben Lively.

The Phillies are also sending cash considerations to the Reds.

Byrd is owed $8 million in 2015 and has a vesting option that could net him another $8 million in 2016. Byrd needs just 463 plate appearances in 2015 for that option to vest.

In his first year since returning to the Phillies, Byrd hit .264 with a .757 OPS and a career-high 25 home runs. But he also struck out 185 times, second in the major leagues behind Phillies teammate Ryan Howard.

Byrd turns 38 in August.

Lively, meanwhile, is the fourth pitching prospect general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. has acquired through trades in the last 3 weeks. Righthander Zach Eflin and lefthander Tom Windle officially arrived to the organization 12 days ago in the trade that sent Jimmy Rollins to the Los Angeles Dodgers, while lefthander Joely Rodriguez was acquired from Pittsburgh in exchange for Antonio Bastardo at the Winter Meetings.

"We are short, particularly at the upper levels, in starting pitching," Amaro said after the Rollins trade. "We have to be able to pitch to win and we have to be able to develop pitching, long term. That's why it was important. ... We're starting to create a little depth at the upper levels of the minor league system, because we're real short there."

Lively, who turns 23 in March, was rated the 8th best prospect in the Reds system by MLB.com. The 6-4 righthander was Cincinnati's fourth round pick in the 2013 draft.

Lively split the 2014 season between Class A Bakersfield and Double-A Pensacola, going 13-7 with a 3.04 ERA in 26 starts. He struck out 171 while walking 52 batters in 151 innings.

He could join Eflin, Windle and 2014 first-round pick Aaron Nola at Double-A Reading to begin his first year in the Phillies organization.