Braves trade Johnny Estrada for 2 relief pitchers
The Braves’ middle relief corps has become deeper as the Braves shipped catcher Johnny Estrada to the Diamondbacks for relievers Oscar Villarreal and Lance Cormier. Any question regarding Brian McCann’s status at the Braves’ starting catcher was erased when the team sent Estrada, a 2004 All-Star who struggled last season after a nasty collision with Darin Erstad at the plate in June, to Arizona. Oscar Villareal was sidelined during the greater part of the past 2 seasons with elbow and shoulder problems. However, the 24-year-old right-handed relief pitcher appeared in a rookie-record 86 games in 2003 while posting a sparkling 2.57 ERA. The other pitcher included in the package, 25-year-old right-handed reliever Lance Cormier, pitched in 67 games for the DB’s in 2005, compiling a 7-3 record and 5.11 ERA.
