Braves Make a Move for Pitching

Frank Wren, General Manager of the Atlanta Braves, made a big move to acquire some new blood in the team's pitching rotation. Charlie O'Brien of the Atlanta Journal Constitution

reports that six players total were traded between the Braves and the Chicago White Sox. Four players were sent to Chicago in exchange for two players sent to Atlanta. While the trade seems iffy to some, its at least a start to repairing a pitching staff destroyed by injuries.

Among the players sent to Chicago was a very promising top prospect by the name of Tyler Flowers. Flowers is a great source of offense with massive power at the plate and pretty good defense behind it. With the Braves starting catcher being Brian McCann, a three time All-Star, Flowers was a great prospect to put out there and see who would bid. The White Sox have a good catcher in A.J. Pierzynski but with a trade like this, one should be very interested to see what happens in spring training.

Javier Vazquez is the starting pitcher involved in the trade going to Atlanta. He is a starter who is quite capable of fulfilling the needs that are troubling the Braves starting rotation. Usually pitching around 200 innings with a high strikeout count, he seems like a man who can do his job and keep the Braves from dipping into the bullpen too early in the game. Lack of endurance from starting pitching was one of the Braves major problems last season.

The trade is the first step in the Braves improving their starting pitching. It may never have the same kind of domination over the National League that it once had, but at least it's a start. And a start is all that was hoped for by the loyal fans of the Atlanta Braves baseball franchise.

Charlie O'Brien,"Braves Trade for White Sox starter Javier Vazquez", AJC.com