Cubs Trade Derrek Lee To Braves For Three Pitching Prospects

Immediately after reporting that Derrek Lee has been traded to the Braves, Ken Rosenthal comes up with the names of the pitchers going the other way:

Lopez is a 19 year old righty who’s worked out of both the rotation and the bullpen for A-ball Rome. He has 70 strikes and 43 walks in 92.2 innings, and features a high-velocity fastball with inconsistent command and the usual assortment of developing secondary pitches.

After a morning of rumor and speculation, the Braves and the Cubs have agreed to a deal that will send first baseman Derrek Lee to Atlanta:

With the Braves, the streaking Lee will step right into the lineup and force the slumping Troy Glaus either to the disabled list or the bench. Glaus has been dealing with knee soreness for quite some time, now, and his batting numbers reflect it.

It certainly looks now like today’s rumored Derrek Lee trade is going to go down. Says Bob Nightengale:

Lee’s back is a legitimate concern and must be given its due diligence, but if and when Lee checks out, the trade should happen quickly, and the Braves should have a new first baseman in short order.

Back around July trade deadline time, Derrek Lee invoked his veteran rights to block a trade to the Angels. It seems history will not repeat itself this time around with the Braves.

Adds Ken Rosenthal:

Our Braves blog, Talking Chop, offers some additional perspective on the possible trade:

Lee, 35, has been with the Cubs since 2004.