By Jim Callis
December 13, 2003

Facing the impending loss of free-agent stars Gary Sheffield and Javy Lopez, the Braves may have filled both holes with the biggest trade thus far at the Winter Meetings. On Saturday, Atlanta acquired J.D. Drew and Eli Marrero from St. Louis. The Cardinals, who were looking to reduce payroll, received the Braves' top pitching prospect in Adam Wainwright, as well as Ray King and Jason Marquis.

Drew never has delivered on the considerable promise that made him the fifth overall pick in the 1998 draft, showing glimpses of it but often being derailed by injuries. He made six trips to the disabled list while in St. Louis, including one in 2003 with a strained oblique muscle. Now 28, he'll replace Sheffield in right field for Atlanta. Drew batted .289/.374/.512 in 100 games this season, with 15 homers and 42 RBIs. The only 30-30 player in NCAA Division I history, he has the potential to reach those levels in the majors if he remains healthy. He also has the arm and speed to be a standout in right field. There's really little he can't do if he can stay in the lineup. But with Drew scheduled to earn a raise via arbitration from his $3.7 million salary in 2003 and eligible for free agency after 2004, the Cardinals determined he was expendable. He's a career .282/.377/.498 hitter with 96 homers, 280 RBIs and 59 steals in 597 games.

Marrero, 30, hit .224/.267/.355 with two homers and 20 RBIs in 41 games during a 2003 season that was ruined when he ruptured ligaments in his right ankle when he slipped on the rain-soaked grass at Wrigley Field on May 11. He split time between the outfield and catcher in St. Louis and gives Atlanta a better option than Johnny Estrada as it looks to replace Lopez. Marrero, who hit 18 homers in 2002, is a better hitter and has more power than Estrada. He also runs very well for a catcher, stealing 14 bases in 16 tries in 2002, moves well behind the plate and has good arm strength. He threw out all three runners who tried to steal on him in 2003 and has erased 38 percent of the basestealers who have tested him over his career. Like Drew, Marrero could be on the verge of a breakout. But after granting him a two-year, $4.5 million contract that expires after a $3 million salary in 2004, the Cardinals deemed him expendable. In 525 games in the majors, he has hit .238/.295/.390 with 43 homers and 187 RBIs.

Wainwright, a 22-year-old righthander, was a 2000 first-round pick out of a Georgia high school. He has breezed through the minors thanks to his combination of stuff (92-93 mph fastball, hard curveball, solid changeup), size (6-foot-8) and intelligence. Once he gets a little stronger and a little more aggressive, he'll be headed to the majors. The depleted Cardinals farm system doesn't have a player who can match his combination of talent and near-readiness for the big leagues. In 2003, Wainwright went 10-8, 3.37 in 27 starts at Double-A Greenville. He had a 128-37 strikeout-walk ratio and .247 opponent average in 150 innings.

King, 29, gives the Cardinals a second lefty to go with Steve Kline in their bullpen. He's coming off a 3-4, 3.51 performances in 80 appearances, marking the third straight season he ranked in the National League top 10 in games. In 59 innings, he had a 43-27 K-BB ratio and a .213 opponent average. His top pitch is a slider, and he also uses an 88-90 mph fastball and a splitter. King is a relative bargain at $900,000 for 2004.

Marquis, a 25-year-old righty, could be a key for St. Louis in this trade and could crack its 2004 rotation. But the Braves also had grown frustrated with the 1996 supplemental first-round pick, who didn't take a demotion to the bullpen well and didn't get along with pitching coach Leo Mazzone. He split time between Triple-A Richmond and Atlanta in 2003, going 0-0, 5.53 with one save in 21 games (two starts) in the majors. Despite owning a lively mid-90s fastball and a tough slider, he posted just a 19-18 K-BB ratio and .270 opponent average. He did pitch well in Richmond, going 8-4, 3.35 in 15 starts, but must improve his changeup and command if he's going to succeed as a big league starter. He's eligible for arbitration after making $368,000 in 2003. He owns a career 14-15, 4.45 record in 96 big league games (40 starts).