After not having done much in the offseason, the Atlanta Braves have made two interesting moves over the past week.
The bat of Martin Prado could be another boost to the improving Braves offense.
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The first was the signing of Livan Hernandez, who will be a spot starter/long reliever for the ballclub, and the second was the trade between the Cincinnati Reds on Sunday. In that trade, the Braves sent over J.J. Hoover to the Reds for Juan Francisco.
Hoover was the #13 prospect in the Braves' farm system, according to MLB.com, and was drafted in 2008 by the team. Since that time he has pitched pretty well in the minor leagues, going 25-19 with 425 strikeouts in 401 innings pitched and an ERA of 3.14. He was moved from starting pitching to relief not too long ago in 2011, and while he was not one of the team's top pitching prospects, Hoover certainly had a bright future ahead of him and should be a solid contributor for the Reds, who desperately need bullpen help right now.
Francisco is a power-hitting third baseman who could also be a potential first basemen or corner outfielder. In his time in the Reds' farm system (since 2006), Francisco amassed a .286 average with 112 home runs, 419 RBIs, and 153 doubles. Juan also had three stints in the major leagues with the Reds from 2009-11, and in 81 games hit .284 with five home runs and 29 RBIs.
Overall, I like this trade for the Atlanta Braves. They did not have to give up one of their top pitching prospects to get Francisco, and Juan has a lot of potential. The real question is whether or not he can turn that potential into something great for the Braves. He supposedly was overweight when he first came into the Reds' spring training, which doesn't sound too bad unless one considers the fact that he was fighting for a chance to make it on the squad in 2012. Hopefully a change of scenery will do him some good.
This trade also has future ramifications as well. Francisco will most likely serve as a backup for Chipper Jones (and Martin Prado) in 2012, but there is also the possibility that he could start at third base with Prado in left field. After 2012, I could certainly see Francisco as a starting left fielder or third basemen (if he fulfills his potential) for the Braves, depending on what they want to do with Prado.
Regardless, the Braves already have enough pitching in the farm system as it is, and bringing in another bat to potentially fill in at third base in the years to come could only benefit the team moving forward.
Ryan Kekoufski is a lifelong Atlanta Braves fan. He covers sports for the Yahoo! Contributor Network, and currently resides in Virginia.
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