It is rare when a player leading his league in batting average gets traded mid-season but that is exactly what happened yesterday when the Seattle Alligators sent their All-Star first baseman Kevin Poutre to Detroit for two left-handed relievers, All-Star closer Jon Schmidt and Ivan Cruz.
Poutre is reportedly being moved back to his original position at second base, where he is a very fine fielder (though he has won 3 GG awards at first), as Detroit has slugger Jason Drum at first. This move does mean that 32-year old veteran second baseman Takeyuki Obana gets a demotion and it wouldn't be surprising to see him traded before the trade deadline at the end of the month.
For Seattle this gives 24-year old Fred Reinhardt a chance to take over at first. Reinhardt is such a gifted contact hitter that he has already been slotted into the number 3 hole in the lineup. He will provide adequate defense but is unlikely to ever rise to the Gold Glove level of his predecessor. This move also improves an already strong bullpen and gives the Alligators a nice left-right mix out there. Schmidt was arguably the best reliever in the MGL thus far this season and has a very high ceiling while Cruz has great stuff, questionable control, but also provides wonderful leadership qualities in the clubhouse.
This looks like a win-win.
