Stokes Dealt to A's; Marlins Catch Baker

Longtime Marlins power prospect Jason Stokes will finally get a good shot at making the big club - albeit with a different club.

The Marlins dealt Jason Stokes on Friday to the Oakland A's for John Baker, another AAA prospect from the PCL.

Baker played 83 games for the Sacramento River Cats in the PCL last season, the A's AAA affiliate. He hit .273 with 4 home runs, 80 hits and 38 RBI. He also had 77 strikeouts in 293 at bats while walking 44 times. Baker is 26 with a lefty bat.

After struggling in 2005 at the AAA level, hitting .234, he bounced back with his performance last season and also was named to the PCL All-Star team. He noted working with hitting coach Brian McArn as they both created a routine for Baker and kept it the same day in and day out. Baker noted that he may have been "over-adjusting" with his hitting approach and that by creating a routine and keeping things basically the same, it brought him back to where he was.

The Marlins do not have a lot of depth at catcher, and if Baker could show some promise, he should get a call-up with the Marlins at some point in the season.

As for Stokes, he will go to Oakland and most likely work on his hitting. His power is still there, despite problems with his wrist, and playing in the AL could get warrant him a better shot as a DH.