The Atlanta Braves made a huge move Wednesday in an attempt to shore up the middle of the lineup with the loss of Chipper Jones to a season-ending ACL injury. Braves GM Frank Wren shipped three minor league pitching prospects to the Chicago Cubs in exchange for first baseman Derrek Lee. The new first baseman will join the club on Friday, when Atlanta travels up to Chicago for a series with Lee’s former club. Lee will take over first base from Troy Glaus, who was placed on the disabled list and will head to Class AAA-Gwinnett to get some reps in at third base, and Lee is quite a capable fielder, having snared three Gold Gloves in his 14-year major league career.
Lee can also rake at the plate, having won the Silver Slugger award in 2005 while leading the National League that year in batting average. Last season, Lee hit .306 with 35 homers and 111 RBI. This season, Lee has struggled while dealing with some injuries, but his .251 average is climbing as he is stroking the ball at a .313 average since the All-Star break, including .305 in August. Last weekend he hit four home runs in a three-game series against the St. Louis Cardinals.
This trade is certainly a move by the front office to show the team as well as the fans that the Braves will be making a run at the World Series this season. The Philadelphia Phillies have been weathering injuries while winning 20 of the last 25 games, but the Braves still have a 2.5-game lead in the NL East. Lee is a free agent-to-be and with Freddie Freeman tearing up Gwinnett this season, Lee can only be seen as a late-season rental. But Lee comes to the Braves at a good time for a cheap price (the pitchers the Braves gave up Tyrelle Harris (RHP), Robinson Lopez (RHP) and Jeffrey Lorick (LHP) were not on the Braves “untouchable” list and none have appeared higher than Class AA), and if he can help the Braves win a World Series title, the price would have been well worth it. Lee won a title with the Marlins in 2003 and he’ll certainly add some postseason experience to a team that has not been to the playoffs since 2005.
Lee is not a player that many people had on their radar for potential pieces the Braves could have added. Lee was rumored to be headed to Texas back in July and recently rejected a trade to the Angels. Lee waved his no-trade clause to come to Atlanta to be a part of a pennant chase, and, assuming he is healthy, should fit in immediately to the No.4 or 5 hole. I’d still keep Omar Infante in the lineup, most likely at second with Prado sliding to third like he’s been there his whole career. While I like Gonzalez hitting third, perhaps Braves manager Bobby Cox should stick with what is working and keep Infante at the top with Heyward at No.2 and Prado at No.3. Lee can rake in the cleanup spot with McCann fifth, Gonzalez sixth, Diaz or Hinske seventh (though you could certainly flip-flop those two spots) with Ankiel or Melky Cabrera eighth and THIS lineup would give up no easy outs in the postseason. The addition of one player (if he lives up to expectations) just sent waves across the National League. The Braves are players and ready for late-October baseball.
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