On Wednesday night, the Atlanta Braves starting first baseman Freddie Freeman was hit by a pitch from Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Aaron Loup. The pitch fractured Freeman's wrist, which will cause him to miss 10 weeks. At the time of the injury, Freeman was an early candidate for the MVP award. He was hitting .341, with 14 home runs, and 25 rbi's. The 14 home runs, had lead the league.The Braves needed a stop-gap to fill first base, while Freeman is out. On Saturday evening they acquired first baseman Matt Adams and cash consideration from the St. Louis Cardinals in exchange for 1B/3B Juan Yepez. Yepez, 19, out of Caracas, Venezuela was signed as an international free-agent in July, 2014. He's said to have raw power, but has been slowed by injuries. That's why it may not show much in his stats so far. It would be nice to see him progress and see if that is true, and stay healthy.
Right now Yerez is hitting .275, with 1 home run, 15 rbi's, and 4 stolen bases in 36 games for Class A Rome. He's a .281 career hitter, with 125 hits, 34 doubles, 2 triples, 6 home runs, 54 rbi's, and 7 stolen bases.
As for Matt Adams, he had been a Cardinals since reaching the MLB in May, 2012. Adams, 28, seems like he's always had the potential to be a good player. He hasn't fully shown that yet.
Adams' best season came in 2014, when he hit .288 with 15 home runs, and 68 rbi's.
In his career, Adams has played in 486 games, 164 runs, 387 hits, 83 doubles, 5 triples, 56 home runs, 217 rbi's, 4 stolen bases, 93 walks, and a batting average of .271. Adams also has a OBP of .315.
Not sure what to expect in Yepez, since he seems to be still developing. It would be nice if his scouting reports are true. Matt Adams needed a change of scenery. The trade could be a win-win for Adams, while Freddie Freeman is out. Adams could be traded to a different team, once Freeman is fully healthy.
