By Jim Callis
December 16, 2002

The Braves were stung this offseason when they lost all-star lefthanded reliever Mike Remlinger to the Cubs via free agency. On Monday, Atlanta moved to fill that lefty void in its bullpen by trading for Milwaukee's Ray King. The price was Wes Helms and John Foster.

King, 28, is coming off his best full season in the majors. After missing two weeks in April with elbow inflammation, King returned to go 3-2, 3.05 in 76 appearances, striking out 50 in 65 innings. Lefthanders batted just .219 against him. He throws 90 mph and gets hitters out with a sinker-slider combination. King will make $380,000 in 2003 and the Braves have the option of retaining him for $1 million or buying him out for $100,000 in 2004.

Helms, 26, never was able to nail down the first-base job with Atlanta. He hit .243-6-22 in 85 games last season and .234-17-60 in 198 contests over four years. Power is his best tool, but he hasn't made enough consistent contact to do much with it. A converted third baseman, he has a strong arm for first base but his hands aren't soft. He missed a month in 2002 with a bruised right thumb.

Foster, a 24-year-old lefthander, was a 25th-round pick in 1999 out of Lewis-Clark State (Idaho) College. He made his big league debut in 2002, posting a 10.80 ERA in five appearances, but ended the season on the disabled list with dizziness. He spent most of the year at Triple-A Richmond, where he went 8-4, 4.21 with eight saves in 55 games. He struck out 48 in 62 innings. Foster has a fastball that tops out at 90-91 mph, and he also employs an average curveball and changeup.