Hunter Pence Traded to Phillies: Braves Must Counter with Carlos Quentin Trade

With Carlos Beltran traded to San Francisco and Hunter Pence to Philadelphia, Carlos Quentin is one of the last top outfielders remaining on the trade market.

There is also the option of B.J. Upton; however, the Braves may overpay for him, and Quentin seems just as valuable.

With their recent acquisition of Hunter Pence, the Phillies can fill the offensive hole that has been giving them doubts all season.

If the Braves do not counter with a trade, they will continue to fall behind in the standings and their postseason chances will lessen.

Carlos Quentin, however, could be a solution to their issues.

Quentin is hitting .262 with 20 home runs and 62 RBI. He is just reaching his prime at the age of 28.

He could easily fill in the major void in the outfield for the Braves. It would be a great relief to pull either Jordan Schafer or Nate McLouth from the starting lineup and fill their spot with a consistent hitter.

Quentin bats right-handed, which would be helpful to a Braves lineup that contains a majority of left-handed bats.

As long as the Braves can hold on to Mike Minor, Julio Teheran and Arodys Vizcaino, they should go all out in their pursuit of Quentin.

There are very few options remaining on the market in terms of consistent outfielders, and Quentin is definitely on the top.

It seems very necessary that the Braves make a trade, especially after losing Pence to their rivals the Phillies.

If they leave the offense as is, without a bat like Quentin's, even if the Braves manage to win the Wild Card, they will experience difficulties competing in the playoffs.

Carlos Quentin is a necessity for the Braves offense.