The best team in baseball team which currently has the best record in the majors got better on Tuesday, trading Casey Kotchman and relief prospect Stephen Marek to the Braves for Mark Teixeira.
It seems as though the Braves were intent on getting a first baseman back. That may or may not have limited their return, although it almost certainly made their haul less exciting. There's a big difference between trading a superstar for a prospect you can dream on, and dealing one for a first baseman with a .327 OBP. For this deal to work out for Atlanta, Kotchman needs to start walking again; his BB% has plummeted from 10.7% last season to 4.6% this year. He'll be eligible for arbitration this winter, so the Braves control him through 2011.
We'll certainly be hearing this "best team in baseball gets better" theme over the next few days which, for obvious reasons, is a little ridiculous. What's interesting about this acquisition is that while it makes the Angels about a win better down the stretch (see comments), that doesn't really matter (except for home-field), as they've pretty much locked up the division anyway. The return on their investment will come almost solely in October, a trait which is unique to them at this year's deadline.
I'm not sure, quantitatively, how much of an effect that has. Instead of improving their chances of making the playoffs and then helping their offense in the playoffs if they make it, he barely effects their playoff chances and will make them a better postseason team when they make it. I'm pretty sure the Angels' position lessens his impact, but don't know by how much.
Note the large discrepancy between the Braves' haul and what the Rangers got for Teixeira at least year's deadline--Salty, Elvis Andrus, Neftali Feliz (no, there are no typos in his line at Clinton), Matt Harrison, and Beau Jones. Some of that is the continued shift towards valuing prospects more and more, but that certainly doesn't explain all of it. Keep this in mind when the Pirates get an underwhelming package back when they trade Jason Bay next July.
Related: Teixeira Trade [FanGraphs]
