It is official: Mark Teixeira is on his way to Anaheim. Both the Atlanta Braves and the Angels confirmed they have struck a deal that will see Teixeira go to the Halos in exchange for first baseman Casey Kotchman and reliever Stephen Marek. Espn.com’s Jayson Stark reported that Kotchman was pulled off the field during warm-ups at Fenway Park earlier this afternoon, which would undoubtedly signal an imminent trade.
Teixeira’s name has been bandied about in trade rumors for weeks as an impending free agent playing with a struggling team in Atlanta. He will go to an Anaheim club that once again has the best record in baseball, and has clearly been one more impact hitter away from taking the next step for a few years now. What is unclear, however, is if the 28 year-old will stay in Anaheim beyond the end of this year. Most of the baseball world expect Teixeira to head to free agency in the winter, where he could command a salary in the $20 million a year range. Teixeira is hitting .283 with 20 home runs and 78 RBI this season.
Meanwhile, the 25 year-old Kotchman is in his 5th major-league season and brings his .287 average, 12 home runs and 54 RBI to Atlanta, along with stellar defense at first base. Kotchman is under Atlanta’s control until after the 2011 season, with three years of arbitration remaining, something that was no doubt key for Atlanta in making this deal. Marek, a 24 year-old right-hander currently with Arkansas of the Texas League, has a 3.66 ERA and 57 srikeouts in 46.2 innings of work, all in relief.
The statistics of Kotchman and Teixeira are fairly even, save for more home runs from Tex and a sightly higher average from Kotchman. The home runs are the key for the Angels in this first baseman swap, where they have needed another masher for quite some time. Now their lineup boasts the power of Teixeira, Vladimir Guerrero and Torii Hunter, among others. With this strong of a line-up from 1 to 9 and a pitching staff that has hitters shaking from the moment they get to the ballpark, and most importantly, playoff experience both on the field and in the dugout, this Angels team that already has the best record in baseball is, in my opinion, the new favourite to take the American League pennant.
The danger for the Halos, however, is that both Teixeira and Francisco Rodriguez are free agents after this year, and what looks to be a powerhouse in the making could come crumbling down after the season just as fast. Arte Moreno is known for spending whatever it takes to win, and I would expect him to make both of them big offers during the off-season. This will be an interesting summer — and for that matter, an interesting winter as well — in Orange County.
On the Braves end, this deal is simply trying to get something for Teixeira, who is clearly out of Atlanta’s price range this off-season, as well as hastening the rebuilding process for 2009 in what has become a lost season. The Braves certainly didn’t get the farm they sent to Texas last July 31st, but they got one of the most underrated first baseman in the game as well as a solid relief prospect in double-A. Kotchman may not hit as many home runs as Teixeira, but his defence and RBI production will be welcomed with open arms in Atlanta. And with Kotchman under team control until 2011, Atlanta has another building block to work with as they continue to get back into the very tough National League East.
