Time for a change

It has been entirely too long since I added anything to this space and today's trade between the Toronto Blue Jays and the Atlanta Braves, that sent Yunel Escobar and JoJo Reyes to the Jays in exchange for Alex Gonzalez and two minor leaguers, is a topic on which I wanted to weigh in and proved to be motivation for me to put some thoughts together for you. Some today have said Escobar is younger and his future is brighter than that of Alex Gonzalez and that the Braves will come to regret having made this trade. They may be correct about the upside potential of Escobar and I hope that Yunel overcomes his struggles at the plate and goes on to have a great career but it was time for a change to be made at shortstop in Atlanta.

The last series the Braves played before the All-Star break made that as clear as it could be to me. Escobar allowed a pop up that he called for to drop in and nearly got Troy Glaus injured when a lollipop throw that he made pulled Glaus off the base and into the path of Jeff Francoeur. These plays showcased the lack of effort that Escobar was playing with in the field and highlighted the frustrations that many within the Braves' organization have had with him over time. The glimpses that I caught of him in the dugout also showed him alone on the bench which indicated to me that his much publicized attitude was beginning to wear thin with the rest of his teammates. It was then that I said Escobar should be benched in favor of Omar Infante at shortstop. This move of course allows Infante to continue to be an all around utility player and fill holes in the lineup where needed and adds a shortstop that is having a good year offensively and has often been sought after in trades for his defensive abilities. His defense may not have the same potential as that of Escobar but it should certainly be as good or better than what Escobar had showed in the field of late.

Regardless of how Escobar performs going forward this is a move that makes the Braves better as a team now as they try to maintain their lead in the NL East. Gonzalez will likely be gone after the 2011 season but Edward Salcedo might be ready to make his move to the majors by the time the 2012 season gets here and there are certainly others in the Braves' farm system that could earn a chance to be the everyday shortstop in Atlanta by 2012.

The future of this trade may also be determined by the minor leaguers that came to the Braves as a part of the deal. Tim Collins a left handed relief pitcher has struck out 73 batters in 43 innings pitched this season. Hitters facing Collins this year at the Double A level have only been able to manage a .174 average while collecting 27 hits in those 43 innings pitched. Tyler Pastornicky is another shortstop that might be added to the mix in years to come. He apparently has some speed and fields his position well.

Time will tell who comes out ahead in this trade but by ridding themselves of a player with whom many in the organization appeared to be frustrated and replacing him with one that should be as good if not better over the remainder of this season as they continue their quest towards a championship, the Braves will have a hard time coming out on the short end of this deal.