LaROCHE RETURNS TO ATLANTA
The Atlanta Braves acquired first baseman Adam LaRoche from the Boston Red Sox for first baseman Casey Kotchman.
What does it give the Atlanta Braves
Kotchman hasn't been awful this season but he also hasn't been very productive, and LaRoche has more power in his bat and his talent is well-known to Atlanta (who drafted him in 2000). The Braves add a little salary here in the swap, but nevertheless get a shot at more production from their first base slot.
What does it give the Boston Red Sox
Kotchman provides the BoSox with three clear benefits here: a solid lefty bat off the bench, a strong glove and the ability to shed some salary now that they've added Victor Martinez. Keeping both Martinez and LaRoche would have been very pricey (and may have caused some friction due to playing time) but the less-expensive Kotchman is more used to coming off the pine than LaRoche.
Fantasy impact
