Derrek Lee to the Braves

Twitter and the blogosphere are buzzing -- Derrek Lee is going to be an Atlanta Brave within hours. According to Dave O'Brien's blog on ajc.com, the deal is expected to involve "some lower tier minor league prospects."

So, let's see how this deal will potentially shake out for fantasy owners.

It's easy to see where Lee fits in with the Braves. He will immediately step in as the everyday first baseman. He has been killing the ball lately -- in August, he has posted a .306 average and has slugged .694 -- giving the Braves what the desperately need (with or without Chipper), a power bat in the middle of the lineup. The question is Lee's health. He is dealing with a nagging back injury -- one that seems to have been nagging him for a few years now. The only other "bad" thing I see about this deal are Lee's career numbers at Turner Field, where he has only hit 8 homers and slugged just .388 in 66 games (his career SLG is .499).

This trade also spells the end of any of Troy Glaus' fantasy value. From everything I have read and heard, Glaus is heading to the bench while Martin Prado, Omar Infante and Alex Gonzalez see regular infield time. As you Glaus owners know, this is a good thing for the Braves. He definitely gives credence to the old saying: "one month does not a season make" (who said that? Confucius? Yoda?)

If my sources are correct, and no Major League-ready players are headed to Chicago, it definitely muddles their lineup. The safest call would be that Xavier Nady takes over the first base duties
-- and considering he only has 175 ABs this season, I would call him fresh. He's going to need to be plenty fresh to raise his .234 average.

I would also venture a guess that Jeff Baker will also see more extended playing time. The former Rockies prospect has played first base 49 times in his six-year Major League career. He did show some promise back in 2008, and this trade may be just the chance he needed to make a real contribution. Of course, he is only batting .236 in 157 ABs this season. Both Baker and Nady are right-handed batters, so a straight platoon would be tough to predict.

Once the trade is finalized and announced, I'm sure Jon can shed some light on the prospects involved. Check the comments section. --Pauly