ESPN.com’s Keith Law reports the Los Angeles Angels have traded for Atlanta Braves’ first basemen Mark Teixeira. The Braves acquire Casey Kotchman and minor league pitcher Stephen Marek in the deal.
Kotchman was pulled off the field during pregame warmups at Fenway Park on Tuesday afternoon, further fueling speculation that a deal was in place.
Teixeira was traded to the Braves from the Texas Rangers in a deadline deal last season, but he is in the last year of his contract. With Atlanta falling out of contention, it seemed logical that the team would try to move him.
The switch-hitting Teixeira is batting .283 with 20 home runs and 78 RBIs this season.
Kotchman, who is known as much for his defense at first base as his bat, is batting .287 with 12 homers and 54 RBIs for the first-place Angels.
Some consider Teixeira overrated, but there’s no doubt he gives the Angels’ lineup another quality bat. L.A. had to give up one of their top minor league pitching prospects in Marek and a 25-year old developing talent in Kotchman, but by adding Teixeira they may be the odds on favorites to win the World Series. (Especially considering how they’ve dominated the Red Sox this year.)
