First off, WOW! Way to go Frank Wren landing J-Up, but I (like many) am sad to see Martin Prado leave the Braves. These are just some snap reactions to Prado's departure rather than Upton's addition.

The Batting Order

Thinking the heart of summer, the Braves now have five players who can bat in 3,4,5 spots (Upton, Upton, Heyward, Freeman, McCann). Besides that logjam, the question of building the lineup is far more complex than juggling the middle of order. Assuming Simmons is moved to leadoff (a spot Prado could have occupied), the question now becomes who replaces Prado in the two hole. In my mind Prado was an ideal two-hole hitter, the lineup I would put out would be:

Simmons - SS

J. Upton - LF

Heyward - RF

BJ Upton - CF

Freeman - 1B

McCann - C

Uggla - 2B

Francisco/Johnson - 3B

It's definitely hard to pigeon-hole one guy to a spot in the batting order, and I hate to put J-Up in the second spot, but he gets on-base enough to help set the table. Whereas unless BJ turns back the clock 5 seasons, his bat profiles as more power hitter. The hope would be that J-Up can be as productive in the second hole as he was in Arizona.

The Utility Factor

It's no secret that Martin Prado was Mr. Do-Everything for the Braves. He played every infield position, LF, and I'm sure had there been some weird 18 inning game he could've pitched an inning or three. So my next question is how do the Braves replace that asset? The Braves' closest thing to a true utility player is a developing Tyler Pastornicky, who's bat certainly doesn't play like Prado's. The Braves now have to rely on Janish in the middle of the infield, Reed Johnson in the outfield, and possibly the Francisco/Johnson platoon for the corner infield. Not to say the Braves don't have a quality bench, but it certainly doesn't provide a quality above average replacement for every position.

Ultimately I understand why trading Prado was the right move, his value was hard to determine for the Braves front office compared to what Prado felt he was worth. Prado is hardworking and provided value as versatile player and quality hitter. I will miss Martin Prado, but this was a fair trade and makes the Braves better on the field and for the future.