CBRACKE
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It didn’t take long for the Braves to find a taker for first baseman Mark Teixeira just a mere day or two after formally announcing he was on the block. The Braves received first baseman Casey Kotchman and pitching prospect Stephen Marek from the Los Angeles Angels in exchange for Teixeira.
Not only has Teixeira been something of a second half player (over the last three seasons, he’s a .287 hitter before the break and a .307 hitter after it), but he seems to respond to being dealt to a contender, if last year’s move to Atlanta is any indication. After joining the Braves last year, he hit .317 with 17 home runs and 56 RBIs in 54 games. Not too shabby, and clearly someone fantasy owners should break the bank bidding their FAAB (free agent auction bucks) for.
Angel Stadium is a slight less favorable park for batters to hit in (particularly lefties), but Tex is a switch hitter and a player of his caliber should have little problem producing in any ballpark.
“I love playing in [Angel Stadium],” Teixeira told MLB.com. “The weather is perfect. They have a great pitching staff, which is great as a defender. They have a great group of guys that I’ve got to know in the past. I’ve had a lot of battles with those guys in the American League West (referring to his first four plus seasons with the Rangers). So I’m looking forward to going over there.”
Much as Tex loves playing in Angel Stadium, Angel Stadium will love him playing within it’s confines. This is the big fish fantasy owners in AL-only leagues have been hording their FAAB for so it’s time to open up the wallet and grab whatever spare change is lurking beneath the couch cushions, because this is the kind of guy who determines fantasy league results.
Photo courtesy of Baseball Authority
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