Atlanta trades Aybar to Tampa

According to the Braves official web site, they have traded Willy Aybar and Chase Fontaine to the Rays for relief pitcher Jeff Ridgway. When Willy Aybar was acquired with Danys Baez from the Dodgers in July of 2006, Aybar was viewed as a versatile infielder with great potential. He injured his right hand during his first game in Atlanta and never lived up to expectations. Things got much worse last year, when he missed most of the season while battling substance abuse. I guess you can say that the Braves are trying to 'bolster" their bullpen, but they gave up a pretty good prospect in Chase Fontaine for a AAA reliever. Last year, Fontaine, the Braves' second-round selection in the 2006 First-Year Player Draft, hit .288 with three homers in 95 games with Class A Rome. This earned the 22-year-old infielder a late-season promotion to High A Myrtle Beach, where he hit .205 in just 22 games.


This seems as just a minor deal but you never know... For more insight on the Braves farm system, click here.