It's decision time for the Braves, who have until Thursday at 4 p.m. to complete a deal to either add to their roster or build for the future by trading impending free agents Mark Teixeira, Will Ohman and Mark Kotsay.

The potential centerpiece of a deal is Teixeira, the 28-year-old first baseman who is in his prime. The Braves could use a major-league ready first baseman in return, one who makes economic sense. Here are some first basemen from contending teams who have been linked to the Braves during this trading season.

AP (ENLARGE)

Boston's Kevin Youkilis and the Braves' Mark Teixeira are putting up similar stats this year: Teixeira is hitting .276, with 19 home runs and 74 RBIs, compared with Youkilis' 17 homers and 68 RBIs.

Your Turn Which of these first basemen would you trade Mark Teixeira for?   Kevin Youkilis   Casey Kotchman   James Loney   Conor Jackson Voter Limit: Once per Hour View Poll Results

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1. Kevin Youkilis, Red Sox

Age: 29

Salary: $3 million

Eligible for free agency: after the 2010 season

Stats: He is hitting .311 with 17 home runs and 68 RBIs. The 68 RBIs lead the Red Sox.

The skinny: Red Sox GM Theo Epstein and the Braves have denied it, and David Ortiz's return might negate the possibility, but reports surfaced that the Braves were interested in trading Teixeira to Boston for Kevin Youkilis and reliever Craig Hansen.

Youkilis and Teixeira are putting up similar stats this year: Teixeira is hitting .276, with 19 home runs and 74 RBIs, compared with Youkilis' 17 homers and 68 RBIs. He won the AL Gold Glove last year. Youkilis, in his fifth year with the Red Sox, is a Boston fan favorite. He was voted into the All-Star game as the AL starting first baseman.

2. Casey Kotchman, Angels

Age: 25

Salary: $1.45 million

Eligible for free agency: after the 2011 season

Stats: He is leading the Angels with a .288 batting average, has 10 homers and 50 RBIs.

The skinny: Former Angels GM Bill Stoneman made a run at Teixeira last season before the Braves beat him to the punch. Stoneman reportedly offered Kotchman and LHP Joe Saunders in a package for him. Now the Angels' GM is Tony Reagins, but they could be in the market for Teixeira again after averaging only 3.7 runs per game in May and June, worst in the AL. But they have averaged 5.9 runs in 18 games in July, and manager Mike Scioscia says they don't need to look outside the organization for hitters.

Kotchman led the Angels in homers in April with six but has hit only four since. His career high was 11 homers last year. His first full season in the majors was last year after missing much of 2006 due to mononucleosis.

3. James Loney, Dodgers

Age: 24

Salary: $411,000

Eligible for free agency: after the 2012 season

Stats: He is hitting .301 — the only Dodgers regular over .300 — and leading the team with 57 RBIs.

The skinny: The Dodgers are like the Diamondbacks in that they need some offense and have first basemen who would be a fit for the Braves. Loney is one of the Dodgers' long-prized prospects in the midst of his first full season in the majors. (He opened last season in AAA, blocked by Nomar Garciaparra.) Not projected to be much of a home run hitter, he came on to hit 15 homers in 96 games last year for the Dodgers. He has eight this season.

Loney opened this year with a 15-game hitting streak. He also had hits in 21 of 22 games in a stretch in June.

4. Conor Jackson, Diamondbacks

Age: 26

Salary: $419,500

Eligible for free agency: after 2011 season

Stats: Hitting .314 with 10 homers and 52 RBIs. His .314 average and .401 on-base percentage lead the Diamondbacks.

The skinny: Arizona made a late run at Teixeira last July, including Jackson in a potential package. He hit 15 homers in 2006 and 2007 for Arizona, while batting .291 and .284 respectively. He's a versatile player who is in left field now because Eric Byrnes is out for the season, and Chad Tracy, who missed eight weeks recovering from knee surgery, can play first.

Jackson hit .332 in the minors, where he was known more for his hitting than his defense. He was drafted as a third baseman out of Cal-Berkley but spent time in the outfield. Last year in Arizona he had the worst fielding percentage of any major league first baseman (.988) with a minimum of 100 games.