Coming off a limited, injury riddled 2007 season Mark Kotsay will be filling some pretty big shoes for the Atlanta Braves in 2008 . Upon losing prized center fielder Andruw Jones to the Los Angeles Dodgers, the Braves promptly traded for Kotsay in exchange for prospect reliever Joey Devine and Jamie Richmond.

Kotsay had only 206 at bats in 2007, and those at bats weren’t memorable. He hit .214 with 1 home run and 20 RBI’s. Mark will be 32 entering 2008.

Devine was 3-0 with 4 saves at the Triple A Braves’ affiliate last season. Devine appeared just 10 times with the big club last season, but the product of North Carolina State University was rated among the top ten Braves prospects in 2007. Richmond was 7-6 with a 3.05 ERA in Class A Rome last season.

“(Kotsay is) a quality major leaguer,” Braves third baseman Chipper Jones told the Journal-Constitution. “He’s gonna put up quality at-bats and play a solid center field. Not flashy like Andruw, but solid.”

“Everything is headed in the right direction,” Kotsay said. “The back feels great. I started hitting before the holidays, which is the earliest I’ve ever hit before a season. I look forward to playing in Atlanta and playing a full season again.”

the Oakland Athletics apparently have big plans for Devine. If there’s one thing this Oakland Athletics’ off-season has proved, its that no player is off limits to a trade. Current closer Huston Street may be traded this off-season, and if so Joey would presumably get a shot at the closer’s role.

“Any time you’re willing to pay a portion of salary, it’s because you do like what you’re getting back,” A’s assistant general manager David Forst said.

Despite the loss of these valuable prospects, Atlanta Braves general manager Frank Wren is satisfied with this trade, as it addresses his need for a center fielder.

“It just comes down to if you want to get something good, you have to give up something good,” Wren said. “It’s one of those decisions we pondered over a few days, but ultimately we made the decision that our club really needed a center fielder.”