Brewers trade Lee

The Brewers have traded LF Carlos Lee and minor league OF Nelson Cruz to the Rangers for OFs Kevin Mench and Laynce Nix, P Francisco Cordero and minor league P Julian Cordero. Here is the MLB story.

Quick reaction: Mench seems like a poor man’s Lee, but he won’t be a free agent for two more years. Nix and Cruz are a bit of a wash and J. Cordero wasn’t on the BA’s top 30 Texas Prospects list at the beginning of the year. F. Cordero, who is under contract through next year, may be the key guy in this deal given the state of the Brewers’ bullpen.