The Braves acquired a guy who could possibly compete for the vacancy out in centerfield yesterday when they traded relief pitcher Oscar Villarreal to the Astros for Josh Anderson. While Anderson might have lost his prospect tag because of his age, he’s a speedy outfielder who, if given the time in the majors, could steal 30-40 bases a season like he did in the minors. He’s stolen as many as 79 bases in a single year in the minors.
A .373. career slugging percentage in the minors isn’t all that encouraging though and it’ll be interesting to see how that translates when he gets a chunk of time at the big league level. He did hit well when he got a cup of coffee with the Astros.
The wild card will be Jordan Schafer. If he’s ready, it could make this deal a little pointless. Still, if Anderson can keep the spot warm for part of 2008, it’ll go a long way towards the Braves getting back into the playoff picture.
