Braves get Sheffield, send Jordan to Dodgers

ATLANTA -- Gary Sheffield got his wish Tuesday when the Los Angeles Dodgers traded him to the Atlanta Braves for Brian Jordan, Odalis Perez and a minor league pitcher.

The Braves struggled to find an offensive complement to Chipper Jones the past two seasons, while the Dodgers dealt with repeated complaints from Sheffield, who wanted a trade or a promise they'd keep him through the end of his contract in 2004.

"We've been looking for a hitter of this caliber for quite some time," Braves general manager John Schuerholz said. "We've been talking periodically with the Dodgers about Gary for the past year and were delighted we were able to get it done."

The demand by Sheffield, who hit .311 with 36 home runs and 100 RBIs last season, didn't lead to the trade, Los Angeles GM Dan Evans insisted.

"We didn't get rid of Gary Sheffield," Evans said. "We made the trade because we felt it made a lot of sense for us."

He stressed Jordan's leadership in the clubhouse and believes the loss of Sheffield will be offset by better seasons from Eric Karros, Mark Grudzielanek and Adrian Beltre -- all of whom spent time on the disabled list.

Jordan, often the subject of trade rumors, hit .295 with 25 home runs and 97 RBIs in 2001. He was plagued by injuries during his three years in Atlanta, although he often played through them.