With this acquisition, the acquisition of Max Ramirez last week (Kenny Lofton deal) and Taylor Teagarden in the mix, the Rangers are certainly stockpiling young catchers for their system.

Update from Newberg (http://www.newbergreport.com):

Dave Sessions and Jim Reeves of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram are reporting that the two pitchers coming back in the deal will be Neftali (not “Nestali”) Feliz, a 19-year-old righthander pitching in the short-season Appalachian League, and a second pitching prospect to be determined.  Feliz is 2-0, 2.05 in seven appearances for Danville, fanning 28 and walking 12 in 26.1 innings, and allowing just 16 hits (.178 opponents’ average).

I wonder if Ricciardi will put together an offer for Gerald Laird?

Trying to cash in on Chipper's big season is smart. As they say ... flags fly forever.

PS - that team in Baltimore is determined to sign Teixeira after next season. He's a local.

Another prospects for a very good player deal.  For Atlanta this is a win now, although it hurts Canadian kid Scott Thorman.  For Texas it is a gamble.  This deal will be judged on how well Saltalamachia, Andrus and the pitchers pan out.  Atlanta has a great record, for them, of having the prospects they trade not do so well after they leave the Braves organization.  Salty looks like a grade A prospect but wasn't Andy Marte the #1 prospect in all baseball?  I believe he still plays for Buffalo.

He's a local.

Yes, but he went to Georgia Tech, which is in Atlanta, so there are "hometown" ties there, too. Either way, Boras will have him play out his option to run up the price. Wouldn't be at all surprised to see him in NYY pinstripes in '09 -- who else do they have to play 1B better than Tex?

Even if Tex walks after 2008, this seems to me to be a good trade for Atlanta. No team in the entire NL looks all that good this year and it protects the Braves somewhat for 2008 without Andruw Jones. Actually, if you really want to get proactive, maybe you try and deal Jones now that you have Tex in Atlanta. I'd bet they could get Cabrera, Farnsworth/Proctor and a b-level pitching prospect for him from the Yankees. And that's not a bad deal in my eyes.

As for Texas, this deal looks better if they can get a team with a potential catching problem this year or next (Philadelphia, San Francisco, Colorado, Los Angeles Angels, Tampa Bay) to give up a pitching prospect or two for Laird. Anybody have a comparable for Salty? I can't seem to find one.

http://www.globesports.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20070730.wsptlohse30/GSStory/GlobeSportsBaseball/home

Looks like the Phillies got Lohse from the Reds. I guess this means that Towers will remain a Blue Jay for now.

Just looking at the stats, Maloney (http://www.thebaseballcube.com/players/M/Matt-Maloney.shtml) seems to be a very solid return for Lohse. 

The career ERA+ of 95 that is sported by Lohse is pretty darn close to the 92 career ERA+ of our man JT.  Towers has a slightly higher career ERA compared with Lohse, but it's close enough that, given JT's AL East background, I would give him the edge. Towers also has a much more attractive K/BB ratio though his K/9 and HR rate are slightly less attractive than Lohse's ratios.

So here's the hypothetical question: Maloney for Towers. Would you guys have been happy with the return for JT?

> So here's the hypothetical question: Maloney for Towers. Would you guys have been happy with the return for JT?

Without any scouting context it may be a bit difficult to evaluate how good Maloney is, but you've got to like the strikeout rate with not horrible control. In normal circumstances you would be happy with getting a promising prospect for someone you were going to lose at the end of the year anyway. Given the current situation, a bag of baseballs would be a good return for Josh Towers, so Maloney would be a windfall.

I have always been a big fan of JT's, but he's put his foot so far into his mouth this time, he's surely a goner, and it would be hard to imagine a team offering anything of value for him, let alone a prospect like Maloney.

I know for me, as a hypothetical GM, I'd be scared to deal with Atlanta for that very reason (at least if accepting prospects from them).  Part of the reason I was really scared when people here were suggesting a Salty-Rios swap.