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Wednesday, July 26, 2006
Braves and Yanks discussing Betemit trade
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Wilson Betemit’s power surge couldn’t have come at a better time for the Braves, who might further bolster their bullpen by trading him before Monday’s non-waiver trade deadline.
Someone very familiar with the discussions confirmed to me today that the Braves and Yankees are discussing a deal that would bring reliever Scott Proctor to Atlanta for Betemit, first reported this morning by the New York Post.
While my first reaction was — who will play third base if Chipper is hurt? — the more I looked at this potential deal, the more I liked it. First off, let me tell you that Martin Prado would probably be brought up to back Chipper unless and until the Braves acquire another who can fill the role, which they’re also pursuing right now.
Proctor is 29, throws hard, and would go a long way toward solidifying the bridge between the starters and newly acquired closer Bob Wickman, who threw two perfect innings in his first two games since arriving from Cleveland.
Proctor is 3-2 with a 3.94 ERA in 50 appearances this season, with 60 strikeouts, 23 walks and a .226 opponents’ average. He’s 0-for-5 in saves, but that’s not really pertinent because he’s a setup guy and hasn’t been used in traditional save opportunities.
What’s most attractive is the shut-down stuff he’s had lately. He’s been devastating on hitters since the All-Star break, allowing just three hits and no walks with 12 strikeouts in nine scoreless innings over seven games. Opponents have hit .103 against him since the break.
The Yankees are looking for someone to fill in and provide some power at second base while Robinson Cano continues to recover from a pulled hamstring, which already kept him out a month and will probably sideline him another two weeks.
Three others who’ve played second base for the Yankees have produced just one homer and 19 RBIs in 110 at-bats this season.
Betemit, who turns 26 on Friday, has hit .284 with nine homers and 29 RBIs in 197 at-bats this season, including .310 with three homers and 11 RBIs in 10 games since the break. He’s split time between second base, third base and shortstop this season, and the former top-rated prospect has handled himself well at each position.
They wouldn’t just give up Betemit for anyone, but for an experienced reliever to add to a ‘pen that desperately needs one more, they probably would. But the move probably hinges on the Braves landing another third baseman, either before the deadline or in a waiver deal after the deadline.
But in the interim, they believe they can get by at third base, even if Chipper misses a few more days with his strained oblique. The Braves have two very good prospects — Prado at Richmond and Yunel Escobar at Mississippi — who’ve played some third base this season, and this is a big reason why they have.
Prado seems the more likely choice, since he’s already gotten his feet wet in the majors this season and impressed Bobby Cox and the Braves during his brief time with them. He’s hit .304 with eight doubles, no homers and 13 RBIs in 33 games at Richmond, after batting .278 with nine extra-base hits (one homer) and 15 RBIs in 43 games at Mississippi.
Prado has played 50 games at second base and 26 at third base this season.
Betemit, who turns 26 on Friday, is having a strong season, but is blocked behind Jones at third base and Giles at second, at least for this season. Giles’ recent thumb injury and subpar production this season kept trade interest in the veteran second baseman to a minimum.
The Braves don’t see Betemit as a natural fit at second base — he’s a bit oversized for the position — especially when they have Prado at the ready. The powerful Escobar is a shortstop or third baseman, not a second baseman.
In Proctor, the Braves would get a reliever who appears to be a late bloomer just now coming into his own, at 29. The former Florida State standout is only in his second full season in the majors and wouldn’t be eligible for arbitration until after the 2007 season, which makes him that much more attractive to a Braves organization that has never liked lavishing too much money on its ‘pen.
He was a fifth-round draft pick from the Dodgers in 1998 and spent six seasons in the minors with the Dodgers and Yankees, who got him in a 2003 trade along with outfield Bubba Crosby in exchange for Robin Ventura.
Proctor’s recent surge followed a rough stretch in the month before the break, when he allowed 23 hits, 14 runs, five homers and seven walks in 18-2/3 innings over 17 appearances.
A few days’ rest at the break apparently rejuvenated the right-hander, who has been a key part of the Yankeees’ bullpen, rated fifth in the AL.
Proctor has good numbers in areas the Braves need them, including a .194 opponents’ average by first batters (18-for-93), a .224 average with runners in scoring position, and a .210 mark (22-for-105) in late-and-close situations.
If the Braves get him, their bullpen will have been transformed in one week from one of the worst in the NL to potentially one of the best five or so for the stretch drive.
