This morning, Ken Rosenthal reported that Mark Kotsay had cleared waivers and was drawing trade interest from the Red Sox and Phillies. This evening, Kotsay was a late scratch from Atlanta's lineup. Coincidence? Not according to David O'Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution:Center fielder Mark Kotsay was a late scratch from the Braves' lineup Tuesday, fueling speculation he would be traded before the end of the night to the Boston Red Sox.The Red Sox have both a spot on their roster and in their lineup for the taking after finally putting J.D. Drew on the disabled list. Drew was recently diagnosed with a herniated disc in his back and hasn't played since August 17th. Kotsay, ironically, missed five weeks earlier this season with a bulging disc himself, but he's healthy right now, and considering he'll be a free agent in just a few short months, that's really all that matters.
A person familiar with the situation said the Braves were close enough to a trade that they didn't want to risk Kotsay getting hurt playing on the rain-soaked surface at Turner Field.
Kotsay doesn't have nearly as powerful a bat as Drew, but he's certainly an improvement over Coco Crisp, the slap-hitting fourth outfielder pressed into duty by Drew's injury. Since the All-Star break, Kotsay has posted a .820 OPS; Crisp, just .686.
Update: According to Y!'s Gordon Edes, the deal is done pending a physical.
Comments (Page 1 of 1)
What is the purpose of a July 31 trade deadline if trades are being made almost daily after the so called deadline??