Let's Make a Deal

As the NL East continues its tailspin into collective mediocrity, the Braves are doing their best to contribute to the near critical mass of teams hovering just barely over .500. With Mike Hampton's return to the DL, Bobby Cox was forced to call up Seth Greisinger from AAA Richmond to fill the temporary hole in the rotation. Greisinger gets the call by default, as the Atlanta minor league system doesn't boast any more major-league ready prospects. While it’s nice to see a fellow UVA Wahoo in the East, Braves fans are merely hoping Greisinger doesn't embarrass himself too badly after embarrassing stints with Detroit and Minnesota. Meanwhile, Kyle Davies continues to impress, but even four reliable starting pitchers (and putting the beleaguered Horacio Ramirez in that category is currently a stretch) may not be enough in this division. Especially with freaks who can throw 150 pitches lurking in the opponents' rotations.

Rumors continue to circle regarding Wilson Betemit's future, as some Braves fans seem to think Bobby Cox is showcasing Betemit by giving him starts at shortstop. Rafael Furcal is legitimately hurt, so this isn't a stunt, but Furcal may be hurting some more if Betemit maintains his .340/.462/.604 line.

If Betemit is dealt, this could end up coming back to bite the Braves. Furcal is a free agent after this season and is likely to command more than he is worth, and Bobby Cox's unhealthy appetite for no-hit slick-field shortstops notwithstanding (remember Rafael Belliard? Walt Weiss? Ozzie Guillen?), apparent heirs Tony Pena Jr. and Luis Hernandez are not major-league caliber prospects. Betemit is the cheapest and best in-house solution to replace Furcal. Yet with starting pitchers dropping like flies, GM John Schuerholz may panic and deal Betemit for an arm. And a certain team with a no-hit shortstop may be desperate for a bat off the bench. All I've been hearing on this blog is how deep the Nats pitching staff is . . .

What do you say, Josh? Let’s make a deal?