Braves Swap Betemit For Baez, Aybar

I step out for a twenty minute jog, and another deal goes down.  Ned Colletti and the Dodgers made a nice move by snagging Wilson Betemit from the Braves for Willy Aybar and Danys Baez.

The Braves add another free-agent-to-be reliever with closer credentials in Baez.  While the 28 year-old has been more hittable than ever this season, he’s compensated by posting career-low walk and home run run rates.  The hits may stem from a strikeout rate that’s become dangerously low at just 5.26 per nine innings.  While Baez is a decent reliever overall, he’s not the shutdown guy the Braves needed to differentiate their bullpen.

In Betemit, the Dodgers get an acceptable stopgap at third base for the rest of the season.  More importantly, though, they’ve acquired a young, cheap second base candidate who could put up an .800 OPS in regular duty for several years. 

Willy Aybar profiles as a poor man’s Betemit and profiles as more of a utility infielder.  There’s a good chance Willy can commiserate with his brother Erick soon enough.  Erick is the Angels’ primary trade bait. 

Seems like John Schuerholz and Wayne Krivsky are a step behind the other GMs lately, trading away solid, affordable regulars for very questionable bullpen help.