It was a day of the double-B's being traded. Here is the official release:
The Atlanta Braves and St. Louis Cardinals announced a two-player trade today, as the Braves acquired outfielder Brian Barton in exchange for right-handed pitcher Blaine Boyer. Barton will be assigned to Atlanta's Triple-A Gwinnett affiliate.
Barton, who turns 27 on Saturday (April 25), is in his fifth professional season. The 6-foot-3, 190-pounder made his Major League debut in 2008 after he was selected by the Cardinals in the Rule 5 Draft in December 2007.
Last season, Barton played 82 games for the Cardinals and batted .268 (41-for-153), with 13 extra-base hits, including two home runs. He hit .289 (11-for-38) with one home run as a pinch hitter, while the Cardinals went 17-13 in games that he was in the starting lineup. Barton had two stints on the disabled list, with a fractured right wrist (July 6-August 14) and a right oblique strain (August 25-Sept. 9).
Originally signed by the Cleveland Indians as a non-drafted free agent in 2004, Barton attended the University of Miami, where he tied for the team lead in batting average and was named to the College World Series All-Tournament Team as a junior. Barton resides in Los Angeles, Calif., and needs one more semester to complete his degree in aerospace engineering. He has completed internships with Boeing and NASA.
Smart kid, and I suppose this was a smart move. There was little chance that Boyer was going to sneak through waivers, and we get a capeable outfielder in return.