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The Atlanta Braves have acquired third baseman Juan Francisco from the Reds for minor league pitcher J.J. Hoover, reports David O'Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
#Braves trade pitcher J.J.Hoover to the Reds for 3B Juan Francisco
— David O'Brien (@ajcbraves) April 1, 2012
With Chipper Jones sidelined indefinitely while recovering from knee surgery, the 24-year-old Francisco gives the Braves some much-needed depth at third base. If nothing else, he will give Martin Prado--who is listed at the top of the Braves depth chart at both third base and left field--some time to catch his breath.
The 6' 2", 245lb, Francisco has played parts of the last three seasons for the Reds, hitting a respectable .284/.331/.450 with 5 home runs in 181 plate appearances over 81 games.
In 74 Triple-A games last season, Francisco hit .307/.334/.540 with 23 doubles and 15 home runs.
J.J. Hoover, a tenth round pick by the Braves in the 2008 draft, put up a 2.64 ERA and had 10.0 K/9 in over 100 innings between Double- and Triple-A last season.
The 6' 3", 24-year-old right-hander began his minor league career as a starter but only made starts in 14 of his 43 appearances last year.
Hoover has been assigned to the Reds Triple-A affiliate in Louisville.