Sat, May 14, 2005 at 12:00am

NATS, PHILS SWAP OUTFIELDERS

The Washington Nationals acquired outfielder Marlon Byrd from the Philadelphia Phillies for outfielder Endy Chavez.

What does it give the Washington Nationals
The Nationals essentially got what the Phillies didn't want anymore. Byrd has plenty of quality tools and was a top prospect a couple of years ago, but hasn't been able to get things going at the big-league level. The Nats are hoping they can turn him around and should give him a shot at decent playing time in center field.

What does it give the Philadelphia Phillies
The Phillies, in turn, got what the Nats no longer wanted. Chavez is a good contact hitter with tremendous speed but wasn't consistent enough to stay on the Nationals' roster. And he may have trouble stealing playing time away from the likes of Kenny Lofton and Jason Michaels in center field in Philly.

Fantasy impact

Player focus

Philadelphia Phillies

Endy Chavez OF

Washington Nationals

Marlon Byrd OF