The Atlanta Braves and Los Angeles Dodgers didn’t wait until the trade deadline to make a notable move during the 2015 season.
Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports shared the details:
Third baseman Juan Uribe is a 36-year-old veteran who boasted a .247 batting average and one home run entering play Tuesday for the Los Angeles Dodgers. Third baseman Alberto Callaspo is a cheaper option (he is making $3 million compared to Uribe’s $6.5 million), but he was only hitting .206 entering play Tuesday with a lackluster .293 on-base percentage.
The Atlanta Braves are in third place in the National League East, but sit well within striking distance early in the season. Still, it’s the National League West-leading Dodgers that have World Series expectations in 2015 and will ultimately draw the most headlines with any move.
While Uribe helped the Dodgers win the division last season with impressive defense at the hot corner and a .311 batting average, Justin Turner and Alex Guerrero started to push him out of the lineup this year.
Mark Saxon of ABC30.com noted that “the Dodgers viewed Callaspo as a better option off the bench because he rarely strikes out and has been adept at times in his career at getting on base.”
It is hard to argue with that logic, especially given the difference in salary and the fact Los Angeles is apparently receiving pitching in return in this deal, per Rosenthal:
Los Angeles coach Don Mattingly commented on Uribe’s status, per Saxon: “He never fell from grace. Juan has never done anything wrong. In professional sports, the guy that performs is the one who plays for the most part.”
As for Atlanta, it receives a proven veteran in Uribe who has been in a number of playoff races before and understands what it takes to win late in the year. It remains to be seen if the Braves continue to surprise and stay in playoff contention all season, but Uribe will certainly help if that becomes the case.
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