The Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s Dave O’Brien mentions -- and then almost immediately scotches -- rumors of a Yunel Escobar for Matt Holliday trade:
While the Braves have made it known they are taking calls from teams interested in potential Yunel Escobar trades, I’m told that three’s nothing to the report out of Oakland of discussions between the teams about an Escobar-and-prospects trade for Oakland’s Matt Holliday and Orlando Cabrera.
Not saying they haven’t talked to Oakland at some point about Holliday. Just saying the Braves haven’t talked to them about trading Escobar and prospects for Holliday and Cabrera, two pending free agents.
As O’Brien goes on to note, such a trade would be ree-dic-ulously awful for Atlanta, as Escobar is both (a) useful; and (b) not even arb-eligible until after 2010, and given that both Holliday and Cabrera are free agents after the season. Oh, and Cabrera stinks and both he and Holliday are expensive. If anything, such a deal would need prospects coming back Atlanta’s way to make up for the virtual certainty that both of those guys would bolt after the season is over.
Still, I’ve been reading O’Brien for many years, and one thing is clear: he has some good sources in the Braves’ front office. So while this particular trade makes little sense for Atlanta, I have to believe him when he says that there are talks between Oakland and Atlanta involving Escobar and Holliday. Stay tuned.