A's reporter Mychael Urban, reported over the weekend that the Braves and Athletics were talking about the possibility of a deal that would send Matt Holliday and Orlando Cabrera to the Braves in exchange for Yunel Escobar. Until today all indications were that the deal was off the table.
However, recently Urban suggested that the deal could be back on the table if the A's were willing to pick up a "healthy chunk" of Holliday's remaining salary in Oakland.
This deal certainly makes sense for Atlanta. They are desperate to acquire another big back to compliment Chipper Jones in the middle of their order, and Matt Holliday is about the best available bat on the market right now. Braves manager Bobby Cox has had his issues with Yunel Escobar, so moving him out might not be the worst thing for Atlanta. To fill the void left by Escobar, the Braves could elect to use Cabrera as a short-term replacement at shortstop.
The bigger problem is sorting this deal out from Oakland's prospective. Why would they want to do this deal? I know A's GM Billy Beane would love to get a young shortstop, and at 26, Escobar certainly fits the bill; however, is he really willing to give up Holliday basically just for Escobar, all while still having to pick up a major part of the remaining contract. Highly unlikely. My guess would be that this deal could definitely be a building block, but I imagine Beane would demand more than just Escobar in return for Holliday.