Big Tex Comes Home

The Atlanta Braves' GM John Schueholz announced Tuesday a seven-player trade with the Rangers that will have Southpaw pitcher Ron Mahay and Georgia Tech alum, 1st baseman Mark Teixeira (that's Tah-share-ahh, Brad & Blackie) would be doing the tomahawk chop this week; in exchange for catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia and four minor league players, including infielder Elvis Andrus, right-handed pitcher Neftali Feliz, left-handed pitcher Matt Harrison and left-handed pitcher Beau Jones.

Big Tex
With two-consecutive Gold-Glove Awards, Mark Teixeira is not only an extra (switch-hitting) bat in the line-up for Atlanta; he fills a solid hole at first-base and strengthens the line-up quite possibly making this Braves batting order the most formidable line-up in baseball. Teixeira is durable as well, playing all 162 games in 2005 and 2006 and despite having missed a little more than a month this season, due to a strained left quadriceps, (I know because I have him on my Fantasy Team) Big Tex has played in 81 games. Currently batting .333 for the month, Teixeira has 90 hits in 301 at-bats, 16HRs 56 RBIs, combined with 47 walks for a .398 on-base-percentage, .548 slugging-percentage and a .299 batting-average for 2007. Big Tex went 1-4, with a home-run and 4 RBIs in his Braves debut on Wednesday (see video). Well worth his $9-million salary.

Down on the Farm
If there is one thing the Atlanta Braves have is an incredible front-office and Farm-system. As you Braves fans known, when someone is hurt "and can't work" the AFLAC of baseball fills those holes with players from Richmond (the Triple-A team for the Braves). When Brian McCann was out with injuries we saw rookie, Jarrod Saltalamacchia, advance to the Big Leagues and smack a .284 average with four homers and 12 RBIs in just 47 games for the Atlanta. Which makes the Rangers front-office the "smart-money" for catching on and picking up some players from the Braves' farm system.

Hard Decisions
I hate to see "Salty" leave the Braves and I hate to see the Braves release Julio as well, but as Brian McCann said after the addition of Teixeira, "This Team now has the makings of a National Championship season" and to get there you have to make the tough decisions. Which had I not joined a Fantasy Baseball League this year and realized you have to put aside your "team and player sympathies" and pick the best player for the spot; I would be screaming "foul" at John Schueholz for dropping Salty and Julio. And with that lesson learned, I went from last place to third, two-back from B-Rad and 12-games out of first, but Big Tex just so you know, I drafted you.
Posted by The Bushido