The Chicago White Sox unloaded Javier Vazquez, in a deal that should be finalized soon, sending Vazquez and reliever Boone Logan to the Braves for a group of young players that reportedly includes Tyler Flowers, a catcher who is believed to have incredible upside. According to MLB.com's Hot Stove Blog, the Braves were unwilling to send Flowers to the Padres in exchange for former Cy Young winner Jake Peavy, so it's a bit curious that they would do so in a deal where they receive Vazquez, who is an average starter at best.It looks like Chicago GM Ken Williams has done it again, and he may have fleeced the Braves pretty handily on this one, getting one of the best young catching prospects around for relatively little in return.
Neither Vazquez nor Logan could be considered dominant. Vazquez has shown flashes of potential, including his 2003 season in Montreal, when he struck out 241 and had an ERA of 3.24, and he also went 15-8 in 2007. A move back to the National League will probably benefit him quite a bit. Logan has a career ERA of 5.87, but he strikes out almost twice as many batters as he walks, and is only 24, so he has some potential for improvement.
We'll see how the deal shakes out in the long run, but for now it looks like the White Sox may have once again got a solid young player for relatively cheap, shades of their acquisitions of Carlos Quentin and Alexei Ramirez.
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