RANGERS LAND EATON FOR KIDS
The Texas Rangers acquired pitchers Adam Eaton and Akinori Otsuka, as well as minor-league catcher Billy Killian from the San Diego Padres for pitcher Chris Young, first baseman Adrian Gonzalez and outfielder Terrmel Sledge.
What does it give the Texas Rangers
Ever desperate for pitching help, particularly in the starting rotation, the Rangers have managed to upgrade a bit here in both the rotation and the bullpen. Eaton gives them a more experienced starter than Young. The 28-year-old righty battled through some finger problems last year, but still proved to be a steady starter when healthy; definitely a plus-.500 starter to plug into the No. 2 spot in the rotation, with the potential to get a little better. In Otsuka, the Rangers landed a quality setup man, who, after years in Japan, has solidified himself as a quality righty in the majors as well. He'll slip right into the No. 2 spot in the bullpen behind closer Francisco Cordero. Killian is a young backstop who has some good tools, boasting a good arm behind the plate as well as showing power as a switch-hitter.
What does it give the San Diego Padres
Though Young is only two years younger than Eaton, the advantage for the Padres is that Young has just over a year of experience in the majors, which means arbitration and free agency are further in the future than for Eaton. The 6-10 righty nearly played in the NBA, but chose baseball last winter and it paid off with a strong rookie campaign, so he should enter the rotation in the third or fourth spot. The acquisition of Gonzalez is interesting because he was the first overall pick in 2000 by the Marlins, but was blocked there by Derrek Lee, then after a trade to Texas he was blocked by Mark Teixeira. Now in San Diego he's blocked by Ryan Klesko, but the 23-year-old is more than ready to bust out in the majors, so this could mean the Pads are looking to deal Klesko. Then there's Sledge, recently acquired from Washington in the Alfonso Soriano trade. He was expendable in Texas, surely acquired only to be traded. He's got the potential to be a regular in the majors, but for now he'll have to settle for filling the Padres' fourth-outfielder hole.
Fantasy impact
