On Wednesday afternoon, the Chicago Cubs dealt first baseman Derrek Lee to the Atlanta Braves for three pitching prospects.
Lee, who has dealt with some injury concerns this year, will step into the void left in the middle of Atlanta's order when Chipper Jones was lost for the season. There is also reportedly potential for Troy Glaus to end up on the DL at some point, and this deal will likely move Glaus to the bench moving forward.
The Braves defense gets significantly better in the infield with Lee, a former Gold Glove winner, stepping in. He has also had a strong second half at the plate this year, and could give Atlanta a boost offensively. With the return of Martin Prado from the DL yesterday, the first place Braves could be getting healthy at the right time.
Meanwhile, the Cubs appear to be in a full blown fire sale now, with Lee joining Ted Lilly, Ryan Theriot and Mike Fontenot in a new uniform. In their game against the Padres on Wednesday, the Cubs used ten rookies... so fantasy value anywhere in Chicago might be disappearing by the day.
