Braves trade Kotsay to Red Sox for Class A prospect

Braves trade Kotsay to Red Sox for Class A prospect
By DAVID O'BRIEN
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Wednesday, August 27, 2008

Another piece of the 2008 Braves was shipped out Wednesday.

As expected, the Braves completed a trade that sent center fielder Mark Kotsay to the Boston Red Sox for outfield prospect Luis Sumoza, a power hitter having a breakout season in Class A.
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The teams finalized the deal Wednesday morning after spending much of Tuesday negotiating details. Kotsay was dealt to Boston four days before the deadline to be eligible for their postseason roster.

“It’ll be a fun experience for the next 30 days, that’s for sure,” Kotsay said Wednesday afternoon. “It’s just one of those deals, we’ll get through it.”

Despite the Braves’ disappointing season, Kotsay said this of his eight months with the organization: “Great experience, man.”

Sumoza, who turned 20 on July 15, has hit .301 with 11 homers and 38 RBIs in 51 games for Class-A Lowell (Mass.) The Venezuelan was second in the New York-Penn League with a .549 slugging percentage and tied for second in home runs.

“We got a good young player, an outfielder we like and who we tried to sign,” said Braves general manager Frank Wren, who explained that the Braves were in the running for Sumoza when he signed with Boston in 2004 as a 16-year-old.

Wren said the other benefit of the trade from the Braves’ perspective would be the opportunity to see Gregor Blanco and Josh Anderson play center field the rest of the way. They could compete with top prospect Jordan Schafer for the starting job next season.

Anderson was recalled from Class AAA Richmond to take Kotsay’s roster spot.

Schafer isn’t on the 40-man roster and won’t be a September call-up. But Wren said Schafer had restored his elite-prospect status in the team’s view after serving a 50-game suspension for human growth hormone earlier this season.

The Braves’ background information on Sumoza helped make it easier to work out a deal after Red Sox general manager Theo Epstein called last Friday to inquire about Kotsay.

Sumoza, 6 feet and 190 pounds, is regarded as a raw, talented four- or five-tool prospect.

Kotsay, 32, hit .289 with 26 extra-base hits including six homers and 37 RBIs in 88 games, and spent five weeks on the disabled list for a bulging disk. He’s eligible for free agency after the season.

“He’s one of the most professional players I’ve ever been around,” manager Bobby Cox said of Kotsay. “Fundamentally, he’s as solid as anybody I’ve ever had. Team-wise, everything-wise, the whole ball of wax. It’s hard to let him go.”

Kotsay had a 5-for-5 game Aug. 14 against Chicago and became the second player in Atlanta history to hit for the cycle — single, double, triple, home run.

The Red Sox have been looking for improved offense in their outfield, a pursuit that gained some urgency Tuesday after Boston outfielder J.D. Drew went on the disabled list with a herniated disc.

“I’m gonna miss him a lot,” second baseman Kelly Johnson said of Kotsay. “He was always there to keep it light. But at the same time, when you needed to bounce something off him, he was always there, like mentor/older teammate guy.

“He was awesome. He could do it all. I’m happy for him, though.”

Kotsay missed most of the 2007 season with Oakland following back surgery. The Braves traded reliever Joey Devine to the Athletics in January to get Kotsay to serve as a stopgap, a one-year bridge from Andruw Jones to Schafer.

“Mark was exactly what we were looking for,” Wren said. “He played like we wanted him to play, led like we wanted him to. He was a tremendous example for our young players.”

Before he was traded to Boston, Oakland had been paying all but $2 million of the $7.35 million Kotsay was owed in 2008. Kotsay had a $350,000 “relocation fee” stipulation in his contract in the event of a trade, so he got that amount twice this year, after each of the two trades he was involved in.

Kotsay cleared waivers after the July 31 no-waiver trade deadline. Boston and Philadelphia were among teams that subsequently called with trade interest.




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