ST. LOUIS -- The Dodgers will announce on Wednesday the acquisition of infielder Hanley Ramirez and left-handed reliever Randy Choate from the Miami Marlins for starting pitcher Nathan Eovaldi and Minor League pitcher Scott McGough, according to a baseball source.

The move -- with the Dodgers picking up nearly $40 million in contract obligations -- initially addresses the club's critical need for more offense, although it also heightens the search for a starting pitcher like Ryan Dempster.

The Cubs are asking for more in return than the Dodgers are offering, although Dempster has complete no-trade veto rights and is believed to be pushing for a deal with the Dodgers.

Ramirez not only bolsters the Dodgers offense, he can immediately take over shortstop until Dee Gordon returns from the disabled list in a month. Then Ramirez can move over to third base, a problem area that was dealt an additional blow Tuesday night when Adam Kennedy aggravated a groin strain.

Ramirez is a three-time All-Star, a former National League batting champ and a Rookie of the Year Award winner. But like another Ramirez the Dodgers acquired several years back at the Trade Deadline, he comes with some baggage.

Like Manny Ramirez, however, the Dodgers apparently are convinced this Ramirez will arrive with a positive attitude, be willing to play whichever position he's most needed and provide a jolt to the offense, either as a leadoff catalyst or as a No. 5 hitter protecting cleanup man Andre Ethier.

Ken Rosenthal of MLB Network and FOXSports.com tweeted that Marlins owner and CEO Jeffrey Loria said, "It's no secret I love [Ramirez]. He needs to have a fresh beginning, a new beginning.

"This is a very painful moment for me. But we had to do something," Loria told Rosenthal.

Ramirez has a .300 career average, but he's hitting only .246 this year with 14 homers and 48 RBIs after hitting .243 last year, when he missed two months with a shoulder injury that required offseason surgery. He stole 51 bases each of his first two seasons, but only has 14 this year. His best season was 2009, when he hit a league-leading .342 and finished second for the NL MVP.

Ramirez, 28, is working on a six-year contract that pays him $15 million this year, $15 million next year and $16 million in 2014.

The cost in Eovaldi, however, is substantial. The 22-year-old right-hander is 1-6 this year after taking over for the injured Ted Lilly, but has been undermined by pathetic run support when he's on the mound.

The Dodgers are still hopeful of getting Lilly back from a shoulder injury next month and might even have Rubby De La Rosa back in September. De La Rosa is rapidly recovering from last year's Tommy John surgery. If they can't land Dempster by Friday (Eovaldi's next scheduled start), they might call up Allen Webster from Double-A Chattanooga to make the start.

The 36-year-old Choate has a 2.49 ERA in 44 games and gives the Dodgers a second lefty to go with Scott Elbert. The Dodgers will be his fifth organization and he played for the Yankees while current Dodgers manager Don Mattingly was a Yankees special instructor.