The Milwaukee Brewers today acquired INF Ray Durham from the San Francisco Giants in exchange for Minor League LHP Steve Hammond and OF Darren Ford, Brewers Executive Vice President and General Manager Doug Melvin announced. Durham will wear #5 and will be in uniform for the Brewers tomorrow in St. Louis. In a corresponding move, the Brewers optioned INF Joe Dillon to Triple-A Nashville.

The switch-hitter is currently hitting .293 with 3 HR, 22 RBI and a .385 on base percentage with the Giants in 87 games this season. His .989 fielding percentage ranks second among National League second basemen (262tc, 3e). Durham has been hot of late, hitting .327 (16-for-49) with 10 runs, 7 doubles, 1 home run and 8 RBI in his last 14 games. He is currently signed through the 2008 season.

Durham, 36, is in his 14th Major League season and is a career .277 hitter with 189 HR and 862 RBI. He has 2,024 lifetime hits and his 34 leadoff home runs are tied for sixth all-time (second among active Major Leaguers). Besides San Francisco, Durham has spent time with Chicago-AL (1995-2002) and Oakland (2002). Durham was an All-Star in 1998 and 2000 and has played in three Division Series’ (2000, 2002 and 2004).

Ford, an 18th round selection in the 2004 First-Year Player Draft, has played the entire 2008 season with Brevard County, hitting .230 with 2 HR and 27 RBI. Hammond, a sixth round selection in the 2005 First-Year Player Draft, has split the 2008 season between Double-A Huntsville and Triple-A Nashville to turn in a combined 7-8 record with a 4.09 ERA (48er, 105.2ip).