Braves Add Teixiera

The Braves finally bit the bullet and dealt their two top prospects, Jarrod Saltalamacchia and Elvis Andrus, for Mark Teixiera, which should put an end to their first base woes (no more Julio Franco in the starting lineup). This is a great move for the Braves, who already had a good catcher in Brian McCann and had no real use for Saltalamacchia, except as trade bait. Not to mention that there's really no telling how these prospects will project. It is always very difficult to predict these things in baseball, so the Braves did well to their prospects into a legitimate star in Teixiera.

The added offense could propel the Braves to the top of the NL East, or should at least give them a much-needed boost. Atlanta had been struggling of late, but this might turn things around. The Braves' hitting, which had not been especially potent will get one of the best all-around first basemen in the league, filling a gaping hole in their lineup.

It's not all good for Atlanta (even if it looks that way. I actually spent a great deal of time trying to think of reasons that Teixiera would be a major bust. He probably won't). Teixiera's contract expires after next season and with Scott Boras representing him, he won't be easy or cheap to re-sign. If the Braves let him go, this could end badly considering they surrendered their top two prospects to get him. The other potential issue is whether this really fills a need. Yes, Atlanta's offense had not been great, but it hasn't been terrible either. They've outscored the Mets, among other teams. A big part of their problem has been pitching. Aside from John Smoltz and Tim Hudson, the Braves have no reliable starters and the bullpen has not been as reliable as they had hoped. Teixiera will make the Braves much more dangerous, but a stud pitcher might have been a bigger help.

Meanwhile, the Phillies and Mets each made a move to gear up for the stretch. Philadelphia added Kyle Lohse and New York added Luis Castillo. Lohse ought to help the Phillies. He can't be any worse than J.D. Durbin and he has had a decent season in Cincinnati, but has suffered due to poor run support. He shouldn't have that problem in Philadelphia. Castillo is a decent player, but it's hard to imagine he'll be much better than Ruben Gotay, who has hit very well for the Mets.

The Braves made a big move in their hunt for the division, but it should at best even out the race. It's anyone's game now.